Carolina Pimentel
Reporter - Agência Brasil

Brasília – Yesterday president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva met with the president elect of Peru, Alan García, at the Palácio do Planalto. Following the meeting, García announced that Peru has the ability to sell farm produce to Brazil at reduced prices because of investments made in infrastructure. Garcia specifically referred to the recent conclusion of a highway and a stretch of railroad that will enable a poor area of Peru, in the central and southern regions, to ship goods to Brazilian consumer centers in the Amazon at competitive prices. "We can deliver goods to Manaus for the half the present cost," declared Garcia.

The president elect of Peru went on to say that he is going to propose an operational union of the Peruvian state-run petroleum company (Perupetro) and Brazil's Petrobras for the purpose of exploration and production of natural gas and oil in Peru. Garcial also expressed interest in Brazil's biodiesel program.

With regard to his relations with the president of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez [who backed another candidate in the Peruvian presidential elections], Garcia declared that he expects them to improve after he takes office. "It is unacceptable for a government to interfere in an election or domestic issues in another country. However, I am certain that our bilateral relations are more important than personality conflicts," declared Garcia.

Translation: Allen Bennett