GUYANA will be accepting the chairmanship of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) during the period August 26 to 28 at the same time the term of office of the President of Ecuador ends.
Cabinet, at its last meeting, agreed to August 26 to 28 as the dates for the ceremonial hand over of the chairmanship. The event will involve a meeting of foreign ministers of the first two days and the UNASUR Summit on the 28.
At a post-Cabinet media briefing, Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr. Roger Luncheon disclosed that the Chair will also make a decision on the various UNASUR councils over which it will preside.
UNASUR is an inter-governmental union integrating two South American trade blocs; Mercosur (a regional trade agreement among Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay) and the Andean Community of Nations (a trade bloc comprising countries of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru).
Participating nations of UNASUR are Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and Chile.
In May 2008, the UNASUR Constitutive Treaty was signed for a headquarters in Quito, a South American Parliament in Bolivia and a Bank (The Bank of the South) in Venezuela.
In August 2009, President Jagdeo joined other Heads of Government of UNASUR in participating in the inauguration of President Rafael Correa of Ecuador for a second term.
The summit followed a meeting of the foreign ministers of the group, where they drafted a declaration accepted by the heads of Government at the end of their gathering. (GINA)