MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Lula da Silva regional integration tour.

Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva currently on a state visit to Chile to promote regional integration underlined the importance of Congress in democratic systems.

Addressing Senators and Deputies in the Chilean Congress Mr. Lula da Silva said that the region "needs acting parliaments, truly representative, that can reflect the diversity of interests and thinking in our different societies".

Although admitting that achieving greater social justice is not an easy job because "solutions are not as immediate as we would wish", the Brazilian president emphasized that "the patient job of knitting the future starting with debate and dialogue is the irreplaceable task of parliaments".

After recalling similarities between the democracy recovery processes in Brazil and Chile, Mr. Lula da Silva underlined the long standing cooperation and solidarity between both countries, "I therefore come to renew an alliance with strong historical roots that must now be oriented towards regional integration".

Mr. Lula da Silva highlighted Chilean-Brazilian cooperation in international affairs such as the G-20 in the framework of the World Trade Organization talks; the United Nations Security Council and the joint efforts to help with the recovery of Haiti, where both countries have sent peace keeping contingents and civil aid groups to help rebuild the country, "a challenge to our capacity to solve regional crisis".

"I wish that my presence in this Congress becomes an opportunity to invite Chile to expand and strengthen the friendship that has always united our two countries".

Chile supports Brazil's candidacy for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council, and Brazil is interested in a deeper regional integration with land access for its exports to the Pacific basin.

Chile that is hosting the Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation next November has invited Brazil to participate in the debates.

From Chile President Lula da Silva will be travelling to Ecuador where Brazilian businessmen are interested in participating in the country's infrastructure program including a new airport for the capital Quito, and Petrobras the Brazilian government oil company, is anxious to operate in the hydrocarbons rich country.

Mr. Lula da Silva has anticipated his counterpart Lucio Gutierrez he would also like to see Ecuador become an associate member of Mercosur.