Brasília, June 17, 2003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - Tomorrow (18), President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will make his debut at the Summit Meeting of Mercosur countries, in Assunción, Paraguay, with a promise to strengthen the bloc and make it a priority for Brazil for the next four years. The Brazilian President's intention is to make the economic bloc "the center of attention" in South America for the rest of the world, making it more competitive and attractive to foreign investments.

Strengthening regional integration promises to be one of the chief debates during the XXIV Meeting of the Mercosur, in Assunción. During the meeting, the Presidents of Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina intend to initiate conversations for the transformation of the economic bloc into an effective common market by 2006. In its current format, the Mercosur is nowadays a sort of "imperfect customs union," without the physical, political, and economic integration desired by the four members of the bloc.

The Brazilian President has called for the creation of mechanisms to facilitate the full integration of the Mercosur, such as the creation of a Common Parliament and of monetary and social institutes that would have the function of coordinating the economy and fulfilling the social goals established for the region. These measures, for Lula, could bring practical results in negotiations between the bloc and the international community.

Lula and Nestor Kirchner, President of Argentina, also call for greater proximity between the Mercosur and the countries of the Andean Community (Peru, Venezuela, Bolivia, Colombia, and Ecuador). Bolivia and Chile will participate as guests at the XXIV Mercosur Meeting, and Venezuelan President, Hugo Chávez, will attend the plenary session of the meeting. (DAS)