Presidents Bachelet and Correa to Strengthen Bilateral Ties

Santiago, Chile, Aug 7 (Prensa Latina) The foreign ministries of Chile and Ecuador are working to present a broad bilateral agreement in December, after Presidents Michelle Bachelet and Rafael Correa met in Quito this week.

Official sources told Prensa Latina that the Ecuadorian president, who took office in January 2007, will visit Chile in December to sign the agreements, aimed at further strengthening economic, political and cooperation relations.

President Bachelet, who attended Correa's inauguration, met with him at the Carondelet Palace on Monday. The two heads of State expressed their willingness to strengthen the Economic Complementation Agreement between the two countries.

"Both President Correa and I understand that the relationship of brotherhood and friendship between the peoples means that the lines of common interest that we have found can translate into concrete benefits for our people," Bachelet said.

She added that the strengthening of relations would be "a historic landmark, because it also allows boosting our bilateral relations institutionally."