The new Secretary General of the Union of South American Nations (Unasur), former Colombian President Ernesto Samper, visited the headquarters of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) in Santiago, Chile on Tuesday, September 16, meeting with Alicia Bárcena and Antonio Prado, the United Nations organization's Executive Secretary and Deputy Executive Secretary.

At the meeting, the senior representatives analyzed the challenges that Latin America and the Caribbean faces today and discussed how to strengthen the fruitful cooperation that has developed between the two institutions since the signing of an accord in 2012.

Ernesto Samper took office as Unasur's Secretary General last September 11, replacing Venezuelan national Alí Rodríguez. During his visit to Chile, he met with Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, Foreign Relations Minister Heraldo Muñoz, and other public figures.

His first international tour also includes Argentina and Uruguay, where he will meet in the coming days with President Cristina Fernández and President José Mujica.