Havana hosts key ALBA Summit

CUBA: Heads of State and Government fom ALBA-TCP member countries met in Havana Sunday, aimed at strengthening that regional integration mechanism.

The eight Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of our America-Trade Treaty of the Peoples (ALBA-TCP) will assess the results of the bloc since its foundation five years ago and will examine prospects, challenges, and opportunities for Latin America and the Caribbean in the current international context.

Prior to the Presidential meeting, social Programs and Economic Complementation Ministerial councils started on Friday and Saturday, as well as the Political Commission and the Political Council, in which Foreign Ministers from the nine ALBA member countries took part.

According to Cuba’s Foreign Affairs vice Minister Rogelio Sierra a substantial final resolution project was agreed during the meetings.

They also reached a consensus on a special resolution aimed at presenting a common position at the United Nations Conference on climate change in Copenhagen.

In talks prior to the Presidents’ meeting, the proposal of a schedule was reached for the Trade Treaty of the Peoples, initiative that promotes solidarity as an alternative to the typical competitiveness of the neoliberalism.

A first operation with the use of the SUCRE (Unified System for Regional Compensation will be put into practice from January 2010, a project aimed at the currency independence for the ALBA member countries.

ALBA, founded in 2004 by Cuban Revolution leader Fidel Castro, and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, is a regional integration bloc based on solidarity, justice, and cooperation.

The 8th ALBA Summit aims to strengthen more the integration of the bloc in order to give a major efficiency to its social and political programs. ALBA is formed by Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Honduras, Ecuador, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda.

Havana, Prensa Latina