Amorim calls for more generosity with Mercosur partners

Mylena Fiori

Reporter Agência Brasil

Brasília - Minister of Foreign Relations, Celso Amorim, says that Brazil should make it a priority to allow Mercosur partners access to its government procurement processes. "It does not make sense to treat Mercosur like everybody else. There is a lot of red tape in these questions and it is hard to make progress," declared Amorim at the last meeting this year of the Economic and Social Development Council.

Pointing out that South American integration remains the country's foreign policy priority, Amorim said "Brazil has to play in its own league." He said that 17% of all Brazilian exports to to South America, and 91% of its manufactured goods.

Reciprocity is not essential. "We need to be a little more generous, especially with poorer countries, like Paraguay and Uruguay. Mercosur needs to show that it can give small countries a boost in their efforts to develop," said the minister, adding that the Brazilian Development Bank, BNDES, could finance projects in Mercosur countries, for example.

Translation: Allen Bennett