In a brief note issued in Madrid and published here, Cartes, who is returning today to this capital, reiterated his request to be granted the presidency of MERCOSUR in order to return.

According to the established schedule, the bloc’s summit in July will focus on the possible return of Paraguay and later, in a similar meeting, the Union of South American nations (UNASUR) will do the same.

The supposed decision at the aforementioned meetings about Paraguay’s returns to both integration blocs is being hindered by Cartes’ demand to be granted pro tempore presidency of MERCOSUR, even though it is Venezuela’s turn.

The president elect said that was the way to give what he considered legitimacy to MERCOSUR, despite the statements made yesterday by Rafael de Mello, who is business charge d’affaires of the Brazilian embassy to this capital.

De Mello explained that the way to solve the normal return of Paraguay is to accept the presence of Venezuela in MERCOSUR and approve the Protocol of Adherence of the country to that authority, something that has been denied by Congress for years.

In his statement today, Cartes said that granting the presidency of MERCOSUR to him is the simplest path, because of the political part related to the votes needed to support the return to the bloc in Congress.

The Foreign Ministry of Uruguay, a country that presides currently over the bloc, composed of Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Venezuela and Paraguay (suspended), said a delegation of MERCOSUR visited Paramaribo, the Surinamese capital, this week to negotiate the steps to take with its authorities.

After making a presentation there about the bloc’s institutional framework and trade relations and flows, the officials discussed the route map and gave directions for Suriname to join as Associated State, according to the communique.

They also held talks about the structure and work of MERCOSUR, its requirements and the rights and obligations attached to the condition of associated member.

The bloc’s delegation will send a bill for an Outline Agreement of Association before April 26, and both sides agreed to continue the negotiations to reach that accord.

The delegation visited Suriname after an agreement of the Minister Council of the authority, during the summit in Brasilia in December, with the objective of fostering and strengthening relations with Paramaribo.

Tyhe3 idea is to finish the process before the next MERCOSUR summit, to be held in Montevideo in late June, when Uruguay will transfer the temporary presidency to Venezuela.

The document, signed by presidents of member countries of the group at the end of a meeting held in this capital, says that the entry of Venezuela strengthens the global strategic position of MERCOSUR.

MERCOSUR is a forum of social, political, energy, productive, and agricultural integration from the Patagonia to the Caribbean, says the text.

The heads of State also welcomed Bolivia’s decision to sign the protocol for joining the bloc, which will contribute to consolidate the process of union in Latin America.

The leaders also reaffirmed the commitment to advancing towards comprehensive development of the peoples in fighting poverty and social exclusion and ratified the need to turn international cooperation into an instrument of regional integration.

The summit was attended by Presidents Cristina Fernandez (Argentina), Jose Mujica (Uruguay) and Dilma Rousseff (Brazil), as well as Venezuelan Minister of Energy and Mines Rafael Ramirez.

Also attending were Presidents Evo Morales (Bolivia), Rafael Correa(Ecuador), Donald Ramotar (Guyana) and Desire Bouterse (Suriname), as well as Vice President of Peru Marisol Espinosa and Deputy Foreign Ministers Alfonso Silva (Chile) and Monica Lanceta (Colombia).

On June 29, 2012, in Mendoza, Argentina, the presidents of Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay agreed to suspend Paraguay from MERCOSUR, after considering that the destitution of that country’s constitutional president, Fernando Lugo, failed to comply with the democratic norms established by the bloc.

In addition, Cristina Fernandez, Dilma Rousseff and Jose Mujica approved Venezuela’s membership in MERCOSUR and set this date to hold the summit to make their agreement official.

Presidents Cristina Fernandez (Argentina), Jose Mujica (Uruguay), Hugo Chavez (Venezuela) and Dilma Rousseff (Brazil) will attend the Brasilia summit.

On June 28, in Mendoza, Argentina, the presidents of Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay agreed to suspend Paraguay from MERCOSUR considering that the summary dismissal of the constitutional president of that country, Fernando Lugo, violated democratic norms established by the regional group.

Fernandez, Rousseff and Mujica decided to approve the entry of Venezuela into MERCOSUR and they scheduled for July 31, the meeting to formalize that inclusion, with which the economic block will be strengthened and it will become the largest holder of fuel oil reserves from the planet.

For Monday afternoon, it is scheduled an informal reunion of chancellors from the four countries as well as a working meeting with experts and technicians where they will agree the terms and define the Common External Tariff.

This ruling seeks to encourage the competitiveness of the country members and prevent the formation of oligopolies and market reserves with criteria for small number of aliquots, low dispersion and homogeneity of export and import rates.

MERCOSUR was founded in 1991 with the purpose to strengthen the regional integration and boost the alliances between the members of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay (suspended) and Uruguay.

Chile, Ecuador, Colombia, Peru and Bolivia are associate states while Mexico and New Zealand are observers

Dear President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva:

Distinguished Presidents of the member countries and associates of MERCOSUR:

Distinguished Presidents:

Distinguished guests:

I appreciate the invitation extended to us to take part in this MERCOSUR Summit. First, allow me to convey the special greetings of comrade Fidel Castro who accompanied you during the 2006 summit held in Argentina. On behalf of Cuba, I reiterate our people’s friendship and solidarity.

It is with justified optimism that we have closely followed the commendable efforts of the nations in the south of the continent towards integration, economic complementation and in defence of their regional space.

We are well aware of the efforts demanded by such objectives when down the road they must face such major obstacles as the effects of a selfish and unfair international economic order favoring the developed countries and the interests of the large multinational corporations of which the current financial and economic crisis is the most seriours and palpable manifestation.

On the other hand, Latin America’s will to foster integration clashes with an uneven development and a flawed infrastructure, great social injustice and major income disparity.

We salute the member countries of MERCOSUR for their dedication to an integrated region and welcome the priority given to the social programmes and to those related to infrastructure, to economic and productive complementation and to cutting down asymmetries.

We have been called upon to take part, within a few hours, in a greater and more transcendental unitary endeavour. The Latin American and Caribbean Summit on Integration and Development –the first to bring together every nation south of the Rio Bravo–  creates a propitious scenario to discuss both objectives in our own dimension and in accordance with our own concerns and common interests.

MERCOSUR, ALBA, CARICOM and the other integrationist schemes can rely on a well-deserved authority and experience. They have the possibility to serve as the basis of and the point of reference to everything we can build after the Summit, if we have the will to continue to advance and to go beyond the pleasure of having met.

Cuba would like to reaffirm its unlimited fraternity and its supportive spirit to work with you towards the unity of these nations that José Martí defined as Our America.

Thank you, very much.