(21 May 2009) SHOTLIST
1. Wide of Central America presidents during regional meeting
2. Daniel Ortega, President of Nicaragua, talking during the closing ceremony
3. Close of Alvaro Colom, President of Guatemala
4. Ortega clapping
5. Mid of TV cameras
6. Wide of ceremony
7. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Daniel Ortega, President of Nicaragua:
"We will either have access to a better market, or we will find ourselves in a totally disadvantaged situation, with a market that from Europe is going to come to reduce us. That is the question."
8. Wide of meeting
9. Close of laptop
10. Wide of meeting
11. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Daniel Ortega, President of Nicaragua:
"A central issue that is going to be (at the OAS summit) on the agenda is the suspension of sanctions taken against Cuba."
12. Delegates clapping
13. Central American presidents posing for photos (from left: Martin Torrijos, president of Panama, Alvaro Colom, of Guatemala, Daniel Ortega, of Nicaragua, Manuel Zelaya, of Honduras and Tony Saca, of El Salvador)
14. Alvaro Colom talking to the press
15. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Alvaro Colom, President of Guatemala:
"Regional leaders have been very supportive, very objective in supporting the investigation and CICIG ( United Nation's International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala) and of course the support for the rule of law and democracy."
16. Various of Daniel Ortega driving away from the meeting
STORYLINE
Central American leaders on Wednesday concluded a one day meeting in the Nicaraguan capital of Managua where they addressed a series or regional issues.
The presidents of SICA ( Central American Integration System) agreed to seek a common position in support of Cuba being readmitted into the Organisation of American States.
They also agreed to accelerate negotiations on a possible trade agreement with the European Union and setting up a credit fund, funded by the EU, to reduce the asymmetries between the two blocs.
Earlier in the day Nicaraguan Vice Foreign Minister Manul Coronel Kautz said his government would push for the creation, by some EU member nations, of a common credit fund for Central America totalling 60 (b) billion euros, 82 (b) billion US Dollars.
He added that Nicaragua is seeking consensus throughout the region regarding the total amount for the fund, after negotiations on that point stalled during a meeting with EU representatives last April.
The group also formalised its backing of Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom who is facing a potentially destabilising political crisis at home.
Thousands of Guatemalan's have called for Colom's resignation after he was accused in the killing of a prominent lawyer.
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