UNASUR announces Palestine's inclusion in free trade agreement

The Union of South American Nations announced today, Saturday, the inclusion of the State of Palestine in the Union's free trade agreement.

The Union of South American Nations is an intergovernmental union composed of Mercosur and the Andean Community that aims to integrate and strengthen relations between South American countries, similar to the European Union.

The Constitutional Treaty was signed on 23 May 2008 during the Third Summit of Heads of State held in Brasilia. According to the Treaty, the Union's headquarters will be in Quito, Ecuador.

The EU's move comes as part of a campaign recently launched by several countries to recognize Palestine, in light of the ongoing devastating Israeli war on the Gaza Strip since last October. Spain, Norway, Ireland, Slovenia and Armenia have all announced their official recognition of the State of Palestine.