Quito, Nov. 29 (RHC)-- A week-long festival opened on Saturday in Quito, Ecuador, as a prelude to the official inauguration of the new headquarters of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR).

A press release issued by the Ecuadorian Foreign Ministry highlights the event's agenda, with an International Conference on South American Integration, and keynote speeches by regional personalities including Bolivia's Vice President Álvaro García Linera, former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Ricardo Patiño.

Cultural delegations from UNASUR member states will perform at different venues of the Ecuadorian capital.