Dec. 2, 2011 - The Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), José Miguel Insulza, welcomed efforts by countries in the region to form the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), which will surely constitute itself into an efficient mechanism for regional political coordination and agreement.

The head of the Hemispheric Organization expressed hope that this new mechanism will enrich dialogue at the inter-American level, since countries in the region will have an entity through which to agree on positions and bring
up issues with better coordination at the inter-American and global levels. He emphasized that all countries in CELAC are OAS Members, a fact that generates natural coincidences between this mechanism and the Organization, considering that Member States’ foreign policies are naturally the same on the various issues to be discussed in both spheres.

OAS Secretary General Insulza said that once CELAC begins operating he will establish contact with its pro tempore Secretariat in order to analyze the wide range of possibilities for cooperation between the two entities.