MERCOSUR Summit Opens in Paraguay
The MERCOSUR Summit opens Monday in Asunción, Paraguay, to debate an array of regional issues, in particular how to strengthen integration and the inclusion of Venezuela as a full member.

The 28th plenary meeting of the Southern Common Market, top MERCOSUR political body, finalized on Sunday the agenda for the Summit of Heads of States.

On Saturday, MERCOSUR foreign ministers looked into the agenda the presidents will debate, whose main issue is the signing of the Structural Converge Fund to fight poverty, which had been approved in the Brazilian city of Ouro Preto in 2004.

They will also sign a letter of rights for MERCOSUR citizens to develop education and solve infrastructure problems, as well as create a network of gas and electric pipelines linking South American nations.

With this summit, Paraguay will hand over the pro tempore presidency to Uruguay, which during the next six months will boost social integration under the slogan "We are MERCOSUR."

Besides Paraguay´s President Nicanor Duarte and Uruguay´s Tabare Vazquez, the high level meeting will be attended by Chile´s Head of State Ricardo Lagos, Ecuador´s Alfredo Palacio, Colombia´s Alvaro Uribe and Venezuela´s Hugo Chavez.

Venezuela will complete in Asunción all the requirements to join MERCOSUR as full member by signing the Protocol of Ushuaia, in effect since 1998, and the Presidential Statement on Democratic Commitment.