Venezuela took an important step to become a consultive member of the Antarctic Treaty System with its recent scientific expedition to the South Pole, said Venezuelan Science and Technology Minister Hector Navarro Tuesday here.
Navarro said that the Venezuelan first mission to so-called "Sixth Continent" facilitated the fulfilment of one of the requisites to belong to the System, and "we hope we can keep on going on."
Venezuela is getting ready to ratify the treaty, which regulates aspects on investigation freedom, non-nuclearization and non-militarization of the Antarctica, rational exploitation of sea resources and environmental defense.
Composed by 11 scientists and five navy officials, the Venezuelan team made observations on the sea subsoil for more than a month on the life and hydro-oceanographic parameters in the zone close to the Uruguayan base "General Jose Artigas" in the island of San Jorge.
Financed by Venezuela and approved by Uruguay, a consultive member since 1985 together with another 27 countries, the expedition was made aboard of an investigation ship called "Oyarvide."
Navarro informed he had just had conversations with officials from the Uruguayan Antarctic Institute to make another trip to the South Pole, probably in March 2009."We are already working in the preparation of the scientists, navy officials and professionals," he stated.He ratified the pacifist, humanist and scientific character of the Venezuelan program and was grateful for the fraternal cooperation of Uruguay for Venezuela.
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