Catagena - During his visit to Colombia, president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva declared that there was a need to liberalize trade between Mercosur and the Andean community. However, the president of Colombia, Alvaro Uribe, said that could occur only if the economic differences of the countries involved were taken into consideration. "We have to respect the asymmetrical nature of our economies," declared Uribe.

Lula said that free trade between the two economic blocks would take place naturally as more discussions of the matter were undertaken. (AB)