Brazil wants to help the new Uruguayan government in the formulation of a development plan for the country, informed President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, following a meeting with his Uruguayan counterpart, Tabaré Vázquéz.
According to Lula, Uruguay can avail itself of the Brazilian government’s experience with credit programs, mass housing, micro-enterprise support, and the Zero Hunger program.
Lula also said that Brazil wants to speed up negotiations over infrastructure projects in the border region, such as the construction of a second bridge over the Jaguarão River, recuperation of the Mauá bridge, and energy integration between the two countries.
The Brazilian President highlighted the agreement signed today by the two governments, determining the creation of a binational commission in the energy, geology, and mining sectors.
“It is vital for the development of our region to plan coordinated strategies for the utilization of our energy resources,” he observed.
Lula recalled that, despite the severe drought in southern Brazil, Brazil has maintained its energy sales to Uruguay.
The Minister of Mining and Energy, Dilma Rousseff, affirmed that energy exports to the neighboring country can increase in May or June.
According to Rousseff, the increase will depend upon a rise in the water levels of hydroelectric dams in the southern region.
Translation: David Silberstein
Agência Brasil