2. On this occasion Ministers discussed questions of mutual interest to both re
gions and exchanged views on the latest developments in each region. 3. Following their discussions, Ministers agreed: -To reaffirm that full respect of human rights, democratic principles and democratic institutio
ns was an essential condition for their respective integration processes. That value, which was shared by the European Union and Mercosur, co
...[+++]nstituted a basis for their mutual cooperation and was included in the agreements which both parties concluded with third countries. In this connection, they welcomed the Mercosur Presidential Declaration on Democratic Commitment, signed in San Luis, Argentina, on 25 June 1996 and espoused by the Presidents of Bolivia and Chile. -To reiterate the importance of the regional integration process as an instrument of economic and social development with a view to ensuring that its benefits were fully shared by society.
A cet égard, les ministres se sont félicités de la déclaration présidentielle du Mercosur relative à l'engagement en faveur de la démocratie, signée à San Luis, en Argentine, le 25 juin 1996, à laquelle se sont ralliés les présidents de la Bolivie et du Chili ; de réitérer l'importance du processus d'intégration régionale comme instrument du développement économique et social en vue d'assurer que les bénéfices en soient pleinement partagés par la société ; de souligner l'importance du régionalisme ouvert qui est à la base du processus d'intégration des deux régions.