MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Mercosur-CAN speed integration process

The full integration timetable for Mercosur and the Community of Andean Nations could be advanced from 2014 to 2010 in the coming South American Nations Community presidential summit which will be hosted by Brazil next September.

Didier Opertti, currently the Secretary General of ALADI, Latinamerican Integration Association, made the announcement during the celebration of the twenty fifth anniversary of the association in Montevideo adding that the "political willingness" for such a move is "evident".

"The early tariffs elimination timetable, from 2014 to 2010, ranks in a privileged position of the ten South American Community members summit agenda", stressed Mr. Opertti who also revealed that two Central American countries have shown interest in joining Aladi.

Aladi, created in 1980, is Latinamerican integration association which includes the ten South American countries plus Mexico and Cuba.

"There's a greater willingness to advance and a greater inter-regional economic openness with strong public opinion support in the different countries of the region", said Mr. Opertti.

Trade among ALADI members is expected to reach 75 billion US dollars this year.