ECUADOR-SUMMIT/UNASUR HQ South American leaders inaugurate Ecuador’s new UNASUR headquarters

Record ID: 862205

  • Title: ECUADOR-SUMMIT/UNASUR HQ South American leaders inaugurate Ecuador’s new UNASUR headquarters
  • Date: 6th December 2014
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF BRAZILIAN PRESIDENT DILMA ROUSSEFF ARRIVING AT UNASUR HEADQUARTERS AND BEING GREETED BY CHILDREN
  • Embargoed: 21st December 2014 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Ecuador
  • City:
  • Country: Ecuador
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA99A1Z5Z0TOX80HMOVD2PGPBM2
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  • Story Text: South American presidents converged on Ecuador's capital of Quito on Friday (December 05) to inaugurate the new headquarters of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) bloc.
    Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa invited South American leaders such as Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro and Brazil's Dilma Rousseff for the official ribbon cutting ceremony.
    The 20,000 square-metre (215 square feet) building located on the actual equator is named after the late Argentine president Nestor Kirchner, who also served as the first Secretary-General of UNASUR.
    On hand to unveil a statue of her late husband outside the headquarters, Fernandez recalled fond memories of Argentina's former president.
    "This image of his (Nestor Kirchner), with an unbuttoned jacket to the wind, the un-straightened tie just like he liked it, and in his moccasins, here in the centre of the world. It's almost like a paradox, the man who never liked to be in the middle in politics because he said that only the tepid (leaders) find themselves in the middle. Well, he has finished in the centre of the world," she said.
    The 12-nation bloc was founded in 2008 at the urging of late Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez in a bid to unite the region.
    UNASUR Secretary Ernesto Samper hailed the strength of the bloc.
    "This is not a syndicate of governments, it's a coming together of nations. Exactly what unites us is our nationality, our roots, our identity. All that unites us brings us together. No effort is needed to build an identity in the region because we already have it," said Samper.
    The UNASUR's new headquarters is situated exactly on the equator.
    Speaking at the inauguration, Correa said UNASUR occupied pride of place at the centre of the world.
    "I have the immense and undeserved honour of accepting on behalf of my people, from my people, in declaring officially opened from the centre of the world, from zero latitude, from the land of our ancestors who paid tribute to the god 'Inti,' from the place with the most light in the world, in this space that unites the north and south of the planet, the Nestor Kirchner building; the permanent headquarters of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) from our country here in Quito, the light of America. Long live this great country," he said.
    Earlier this week, Uruguay was handed the one-year rotating presidency of UNASUR.
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