MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Montevideo, “capital of Mercosur”

Brazil will grant full support for Montevideo as the “capital of Mercosur” revealed Tabare Vazquez the main contender in Uruguay's presidential election next October, following a meeting with Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Brasilia.

"The idea of consolidating the concept of Montevideo as the administrative capital of Mercousr came up at the meeting with President Lula da Silva and his main advisor in foreign affairs, Marco Aurelio García", revealed Mr. Vázquez, candidate of the left wing coalition Broad Front and which polls show as favorite next October.

Regional integration and boosting Mercosur -which includes Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay as full members and Chile, Peru, Bolivia and Venezuela as associate members, was among the main topics discussed by Mr. Vazquez and Mr. Lula da Silva.

Mr. Vázquez anticipated that if he is elected president next October 31, "integration will be one of the priorities of Uruguay's foreign affairs", adding that the process must not be limited to trade, but "involve the whole society" and become "institutionalized". "Sovereignty won't be lost because we integrate, rather it we'll be lost if we remain on our own, if we remain isolated", emphasized Mr. Vazquez.

The Uruguayan presidential candidate visited Brazil because he was interested in information about the Brazilian transition process between the outgoing liberal government of former president Fernando Henrique Cardoso and the current Socialist oriented administration.

"Who ever wins next October, transition must be based in the Brazilian experience which has been excellent", said Mr. Vázquez who revealed that the Broad Front with assistance from the Brazilian Workers Party will be organizing in the coming weeks a seminar on transition that "should make things more fluid".

Opinion polls' frontrunner Vazquez said that a future Broad Frond government would develop in Uruguay social programs similar to those President Lula da Silva started in Brazil including campaigns to help combat hunger and poverty.

Mr. Vázquez completed his Brazil agenda in Sao Paulo where he met with former President Henrique Cardoso who ruled for two consecutive four year mandates.