Quito, December 6 (RHC) -- The Heads of State and Government of the member countries of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) inaugurated Friday the new headquarters of the regional organization in Quito, the Ecuadorian capital.

The new headquarters consists of a 20,000-square-meter modern building named after former President of Argentina, the late Nestor Kirchner, who was also the first Secretary General of the regional bloc.

Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa and his Argentinian counterpart Cristina Fernandez unveiled a statue of Nestor Kirchner donated by  Argentina and designed by Ecuadorian engineers.  The statue stands at the main entrance of the UNASUR headquarters.

In his remarks at the opening ceremony, Correa said the new venue is the "big house" of countries in the region, allowing member countries to work closer togather towards common goals for the benefit of regional peoples alike.

He added that "the foundation of regional unity is a commitment that requires the political will of every government and people involved."

During the gathering, regional head of states addressed a working agenda that had among its main objectives the creation of a single "South American" passport citizenship that will allow the free movement of 400 million people across the region.

Other issues discussed were the foundation of the South American Defense School to be based in Ecuador, the strengthening of the electoral monitoring system and the possibility for the region to launch an Internet connectivity system, using its own fiber-optic communications method.