Mylena Fiori
Reporter Agência Brasil

Brasília – The highway linking Brazil to the Pacific Ocean through Peru (rodovia Interoceânica), which the presidents of Brazil, Peru and Bolivia are laying the cornerstone for today, is one of the priorities in the South American Regional Infrastructure Integration Initiative (IIRSA) which was created in 2000.

Also part of the IIRSA is the Consensus Implementation Agenda (Agenda de Implementação Consensuada) which which was drawn up last December at the III South American Presidential Summit. It contains no less than 335 projects, with an estimated total cost of US$48 billion. "This is strategic planning for integration. We identified bottlenecks in communications, energy and transportation. And after four years of discussion, we have a sharply focused and selective list of projects," explains Ariel Peres, of the Ministry of Planning, who is also the Brazilian coordinator for IIRSA.

Further discussions on South American integration will take place at the South American Community of Nations summit scheduled for September 29 and 30 in Brasilia. The organization was also formed last December at the III South American Presidential Summit. "Physical integration of infrastructure is one of the three pillars of the Community, along with economic integration and strengthening democratic values," explained Peres.

Translator: Allen Bennett