The First South America Energy Summit ended on Tuesday with the establishment of a South American Energy Council that will follow the development of the regional energy accords, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Colombian President Alvaro Uribe announced.
The Presidents or representatives of the 12 countries of the Community South American Nations met Tuesday in Margarita Island, in the Caribbean off Venezuela, in the First South American Energy Summit.
Chavez said an agreement has been reached to name the regional integration as Union of South American Nations (Unasur).
He added that Unasur's permanent secretariat will be in Quito, Ecuador's capital.
He said that with the South American countries' integration the energy supply for the region can be assured, avoiding an energy crisis and transforming the region into one of the world's energy powers, without ignoring alternative energy.
Chavez proposed Tuesday to the Presidents' meeting the constitution of an energy bloc to administrate the region's resources. The Venezuelan President defined his proposal as an energy treaty covering oil, gas, alternative energy and energy saving.
He said his country will purchase sugarcane ethanol from Brazilas a gasoline anti-pollution additive, but said biofuels are a viable alternative as long as supplying food to the people comes first.
The Summit began Monday with meetings with the 12 countries' energy ministers.
However, according to sources of different delegations the debates were damaged by the biofuel issue, a point of disagreement especially between Venezuela and Brazil.
Participating in the summit were presidents from Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Paraguay, Ecuador, Guyana and Surinam.
Uruguay sent a vice-president, while Peru was presented by its diplomatic representative.
(Xinhua News Agency April 18, 2007)
