EL UNIVERSAL

Following a less than 24-hour stay in Venezuela, Argentinean President Néstor Kirchner Monday asserted that Caracas-Buenos Aires relation "has given a qualitative leap."

"We have made more progress than I expected," the Argentinean ruler added after he and Hugo Chávez initialed bilateral agreements and a joint declaration, which stresses Venezuelan "firm determination" to "expand financial investment in Argentinean public bonds."

"We have ratified (Venezuelan) willingness to continue to invest in Argentinean public bonds. We have not talked about figures," Kirchner told reporters in the conference room of Macagua hydropower central in Puerto Ordaz, southern Bolívar state.

Chávez asserted: "We can say it now. Venezuela is a full member of (Southern Common Market) Mercosur," which was a central issue for Venezuela in this presidential meeting.

"We certainly having hard work to do these days. I have to say that this is a decision the presidential council of Mercosur has already made, and nothing can stop it. This is a decision made at the top political level by the governments comprising Mercosur (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay)," Chávez added during the press conference, broadcast by state TV channel Venezolana de Televisión.

He showed "confident that in the meeting to be held in Montevideo (in December) this commitment would be sealed. Venezuela is to join Mercosur as a full member."

Chávez thanked Kirchner for the profits Venezuela has gained from Argentinean debt bonds, official news agency ABN reported. He added that such an initiative is a drive factor for the Latin American Financial Fund -a proposal intended to support least favored countries in Latin America.

A call for respect and seriousness
During his intervention, Kirchner stated that "South America and Mercosur should be addressed in a respectful and serious manner. We are willing to talk to everybody in a very serious and respectful way."

He insisted that "integration is vital," and has to be brought about with "equality and justice." Kirchner referred to the issue of regional integration -a key topic during the fourth Summit of the Americas, held in Argentina in November 4-5. He claimed that integration should include "Caribbean countries, the United States and Mexico, and others." However, he added that "unfortunately" reality supports the stance Mercosur and Venezuela took during the summit. "Exclusion is present in subsidies. Not even the European Union is willing to loosen subsidies. This makes our regional integration impossible."

"Integration is not achieved through voluntarism, but through clear actions. This does not even has to do with ideologies," Kirchner added.

Chávez stressed that it is "impossible" to implement the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). "This would amount to suicide."

Translated by Maryflor Suárez R.