Rio, 12/5/2002 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - An agreement on a timetable for a free trade agreement between Mercosur and the Andean Community could be signed today at the 23rd Mercosur Council Meeting in Brasilia.

Minister of Foreign Relations, Celso Lafer, called the agreement one of the great aims of the Cardoso administration which has done so much for hemispheric integration, creating economic opportunities and opening markets. Lafer cited agreements with Chile and Mexico as examples of that effort. (AB)