MONTEVIDEO, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- Bolivia is committed to regional integration as a full member of the Southern Common Market (Mercosur), President Luis Arce said Friday.
The 65th Mercosur Summit in Montevideo, Uruguay, "holds very special significance" for Bolivia, Arce told his regional counterparts during a plenary session held at the Mercosur building.
"It is our first summit as a full member of Mercosur," Arce said, pointing to this historic step in Bolivia's relationship with the regional bloc founded by Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
"Being part of this great family fills us with pride and hope because we are convinced that unity and integration ... are the path to addressing the challenges of the current international context," he said.
Mercosur was created in 1991 to promote free trade and the free movement of people and capital among its member countries. ■
