Paraguay Backs
Venezuela's Bid For Full
Membership of Mercosur
Paraguay supports
Venezuela's bid for full
membership of the Common
Market of the South (Mercosur),
visiting Paraguayan
Foreign Minister Ruben
Ramirez said here
Tuesday.
At a meeting with his
Venezuelan counterpart
Nicolas Maduro, Ramirez
said Venezuela is an
energy power and plays a
leading role in regional
issues. Therefore, it is
necessary for Mercosur
to accept Venezuela as
its full member.
He believes Venezuela's
entrance will promote
the regional integration
process, the foreign
minister added.
Ramirez also said
Paraguayan President
Nicanor Duarte Frutos is
a firm supporter of
Venezuela's Mercosur
membership.
The Paraguayan
parliament is discussing
the issue and the
government will urge the
legislative body to
approve Venezuela's bid
as soon as possible, he
added.
In July 2006, Mercosur's
member states signed a
protocol to admit
Venezuela as a full
member, but Caracas can
finally enjoy the rights
of a member state after
the parliaments of the
four member nations
approve the protocol.
Mercosur, founded in
1991 in a bid to promote
regional economic
integration in Latin
America, currently has
four full members --
Argentina, Brazil,
Paraguay and Uruguay.
|
|
