Key facts about Unasur, its summits

Leaders the Union of South American Nations (Unasur) will meet Friday in Paramaribo, capital of Suriname, for its 7th summit of to discuss regional security, infrastructure and communications, cultural identity and other issues of common concern. The following are key facts about Unasur and its summits. Unasur was established on May 23, 2008, when Constitutive Treaty was signed by the presidents of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela. Unasur is aimed to promote integration among South American countries. Its initiatives include the creation of a single market to eliminate tariff for non-sensitive products by 2014 and for sensitive products by 2019. Unasur also has an initiative for Infrastructure Integration of South America, including the construction of the Interoceanic Highway to link the Pacific coast countries to allow better connections with Bolivia, Argentina, Peru and Brazil. Presidents of 12 Unasur nations will meet once a year, and their foreign ministers will meet once every six months. The rotating presidency of Unasur will be held for one year. The current Unasur president is Peruvian President Ollanta Humala, and Suriname is set to take over the presidency at this summit. Unasur, the successor of the South American Community of Nations, covers an area of over 17 million sq km, with an estimated population of 400 million. And It's headquarters is located in Quito, Ecuador. PREVIOUS SUMMITS The first summit was held on Sept. 15, 2008 in Santiago. The leaders discussed the political confrontation between Bolivian President Evo Morales' government and the local autonomous governments. The second summit was held on Aug. 10, 2009 in Quito. The presidents talked about an agreement between Colombia and the United States for the use of Colombian military bases, which is considered as a risk for South American sovereignty. At the third summit, held on Aug. 28, 2009, in Bariloche, Argentina, the leaders also discussed the Colombia-U.S. issue. The fourth summit was convened in Georgetown, Guyana, on Nov. 16, 2010. The leaders signed an additional protocol to the Constitutive Treaty with a democratic clause. The fifth summit was held in Asuncion, Paraguay, on Oct. 29, 2011. The then Paraguayan president, Fernando Lugo praised the bloc's integration process. The sixth summit was held on Nov. 30, 2012 in Lima, Peru. The leaders main discussed the progress in the region's social projects and the situation of Paraguay.