World Affairs
Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez is confident that the agreements reached at the Second Africa-South America (ASA) Summit will materialize. Therefore, he asked people to "exile them (presidents) to a desert" in the event of failure to perform the commitments. "But I will take a few of them (leaders) with me," a cheerful Chávez added before the African and South American leaders gathered last weekend on the island of Margarita.

The second Africa-South America Summit (ASA) pledged "to enhance South-South cooperation" and expressed "full support to the UN Security Council's reform", in a final declaration adopted at the meeting which concluded on Sunday.

The so-called "Declaration of Nueva Esparta," including 95 items, was approved by African and South American Heads of State and delegates from 66 countries from both regions participating in the 2nd ASA Summit.

In a lengthy 30-page document, the governments reaffirmed "their commitment to promote South-South Cooperation as the main goal of both regions, to complement the traditional North-South cooperation."

This will be achieved through the promotion of "a sustained economic growth and the provision of decent jobs (...) (in a context of) equality, respect and mutual consideration among states in a global system.