Reply #17: AFP: "South American nations launch new policy group"

[Judi Lynn]

South American nations launch new policy group
9 hours ago

BRASILIA (AFP) — Leaders of 12 South American nations on Friday signed a treaty to launch a Union of South American Nations, seeking foreign policy alignment and better relations among neighbors.

With oil prices soaring, countries were discussing how to boost energy policy coordination as well as cooperation on social and educational policies through the group, which was to have a parliament in the Bolivian city of Cochabamba.

The union, a forum where emerging world player Brazil can likely press its growing regional influence, groups Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela. In all, 388 million people live in those countries.

Only the French overseas territory of French Guiana was not involved.

"We leaders in the region know that current disagreements ... are fleeting, and that together, we are more sovereign," said host Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, alluding to strains between Colombia's conservative US-backed government and the leftist governments of Ecuador and Venezuela.

More:
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jAct82ez4onhnb61n-F...