MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Lula da Silva offers Chile natural gas

Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva offered to supply natural gas to Chile which this winter faced a serious energy shortage.

Mr. Lula da Silva who this Tuesday ended a two days official visit to Chile while addressing a meeting of 500 businessmen from the Manufacturing Association in Santiago indicated that Brazil's main energy corporation Petrobras is willing "to deliver natural gas to Chile and all the other countries in the region".

"We're working with Bolivia in the creation of gas development pole which should help strengthen integration and promote regional development", revealed the Brazilian president. "This South American natural gas reserve will benefit the continent, Bolivia and also Chile". Bolivia has the second largest natural gas reserves in the area behind Venezuela.

Mr. Lula da Silva also revealed that work has began in the Chilean-Argentine leg of the train that will eventually link with Sao Paulo and become a channel for Brazilian exports to the Pacific.

"Our objective is to take advantage of this railway that has remained idle for many years and convert into a decisive route for bilateral trade. 25 million US dollars are being investing in recovering the leg from the port of Antofagasta in Chile to Salta in Argentina", announced Mr. Lula da Silva.