|
Venezuela
proposes meeting of CAN and Mercosur Presidents
At the
meeting of Andean Economic community (CAN) Heads of
State in Colombia, Venezuela has proposed a meeting
of CAN and Southern Cone Economic Community (Mercosur)
presidents sometime in August to polish up terms
leading to greater integration between the
continent's two main economic blocks.
The
proposal has met with acceptance and the meeting
will seek to unite criteria and positions in
negotiations with the USA regarding the Free Trade
for the Americas Agreement (FTAA) on the one hand,
and talks with the European Union (EU) on the other.
Brazilian
President Ignacio Lula da Silva was a special guest
at the CAN meeting and has confirmed Brazil's
position that sees the integration of CAN and
Mercosur as a tool to re-launch and increase
continental negotiating power.
Lula
da Silva says FTAA negotiations must take into
account equality in the negotiation process, free
access of Latin American goods inside the USA and
discussion of technological issues at the World
Trade Organization (WTO).
CAN
Heads of State have ratified their commitment
towards integration with Mercosur and have fixed the
end of 2003 as deadline.
Foreign
Worker Killed in West Bank Attack
Israeli and
Palestinian commanders shook hands Monday,
bulldozers dismantled checkpoints and Palestinian
traffic flowed freely in the Gaza Strip - the
most significant sign of disengagement after 33
months of bloody fighting. But one man was killed in
a Palestinian shooting.
In line with a U.S.-backed peace plan, Israel
pulled troops out of northern Gaza late Sunday, and
agreed to withdraw from the West Bank town of
Bethlehem on Wednesday.
In another reflection of the bid to end 33 months
of fighting, Prime ministers Ariel Sharon of Israel
and Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority were
to meet in Jerusalem on Tuesday, Palestinian sources
said.
Several Palestinian militant groups announced a
suspension of attacks against Israelis on Sunday.
But the first full day of truce was marred by the
killing of a Romanian truck driver on an Israeli
construction crew. The Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade, a
militia affiliated with Yasser Arafat's Fatah
movement, claimed responsibility. Fatah had earlier
said that Al Aqsa would halt attacks.
Pope Again Reaches
Out to Orthodox Church
VATICAN CITY
- Pope John Paul II again reached out to the
Orthodox Church on Sunday, saying his efforts at
reconciliation weren't just "ecclesiastic
courtesy" but a sign of his profound desire to
unite the Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches.
John Paul made the comments during his regular
appearance to pilgrims and tourists in St. Peter's
Square. Later Sunday, he welcomed a delegation from
the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople at a
traditional Mass marking the feast day of St. Peter
and St. Paul.
"The exchange of delegations between Rome
and Constantinople, for the respective patron
feasts, goes beyond just an act of ecclesiastic
courtesy," the pontiff said. "It reflects
the profound and rooted intention to re-establish
the full communion between East and West."
John Paul has made improving relations with the
Orthodox Church a hallmark of his nearly 25-year
papacy, visiting several mostly Orthodox countries
and expressing regret for the wrongs committed by
the Catholic Church against Orthodox Christians.
Despite his efforts at healing the 1,000-year-old
schism, he hasn't yet visited Russia because of
objections from the Russian Orthodox Church.
During the Mass on Sunday, 42 new archbishops
received the pallium, a band of white wool decorated
with black crosses that symbolizes their bond with
the Vatican. Two of the archbishops received the
pallium in their home parishes; the rest took part
in the Mass in St. Peter's Basilica.
Ex-Argentine
Official Charged in Spain
MADRID, Spain - A former Argentine military official
was charged Sunday with genocide and terrorism for
his role in Argentina's "Dirty War" during
which thousands of people vanished or were killed.
Ricardo Miguel Cavallo, who was extradited from
Mexico on Saturday, made his first appearance at the
National Court after he arrived at Torrejon de Ardoz
air base aboard a Spanish military jet amid tight
security.
His extradition is one of the first won by
Spanish judge Baltasar Garzon, who has taken on
major human rights cases like that of former Chilean
dictator Gen. Augusto Pinochet.
Cavallo, 52, is accused of torturing and killing
suspected dissidents at the Navy Mechanical School,
one of the most notorious centers of repression
during the 1976-83 dictatorship, during which at
least 9,000 Argentines vanished — presumably
killed, often after torture. Human rights groups put
the figure closer to 30,000. Cavallo denies the
allegations.
Garzon ordered Cavallo jailed without bond until
his trial, citing a risk that Cavallo could flee to
Argentina, where an amnesty law would prevent his
prosecution.
|
