国际英语新闻:Brazil, Paraguay to resume full cooperation

BRASILIA, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff met with her Paraguayan counterpart Horacio Cartes Monday in Brasilia, both agreeing to resume full cooperation ties and strengthen their historic regional alliance.

At a joint press conference after the meeting, Rousseff said it was Brazil's third bilateral meeting with Paraguay, which is home to the third largest community of Brazilians living abroad and which shares with Brazil the Itaipu hydroelectric dam on the border.

"President Cartes brought important news on the advanced progress made in the Itaipu transmission-line works on the outskirts of (Paraguay's capital) Asuncion," said Rousseff, adding the lines were expected to begin operating in November.

The Itaipu project, financed through a Structural Convergence Fund operated by regional trade bloc Mercosur (Southern Common Market), aims to draw investment to Paraguay and spur the industrialization and integration of productive chains.

"We also talked about our social policies. We are on a common path towards reducing inequalities through (income transference) programs Family Pocketbook and Brazil Without Misery in Brazil and Generating Opportunities in Paraguay," Rousseff said.

Rousseff also thanked the recent immigration regularization program for Brazilians in Paraguay, saying it was an example of a culturally advanced take on the problem of immigration.

"We spoke about the building of a new bridge between the two countries over the Parana River, and we also spoke a lot about the logistic integration of waterways, highways and railways to transport our agro-industrial production," she said.

Referring to Paraguay's temporary suspension from Mercosur which includes Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Venezuela, Rousseff said she hoped Paraguay's participation in the bloc to be soon normalized as part of the region's push towards greater integration.

"I reiterated the importance Brazil grants to Paraguay's participation (in the bloc). We believe that participation is very meaningful right now and I hope we will have the capacity to integrate from Patagonia to the Caribbean -- I am referring to Venezuela -- which will make us much stronger," Rousseff said.

Venezuela and Paraguay have been at odds over Mercosur, as Paraguay prevented Venezuela from joining the bloc until its suspension paved the way for Venezuela's entry earlier this year.

"Paraguay will always be a strategic partner for Brazil. Together we will be able to face the challenge of deepening regional integration," Rousseff noted.

Cartes said Paraguay "needs to form part of the Mercosur family, " but didn't elaborate on how he planned to achieve that.

He said he has asked Rousseff to help Paraguay fight poverty and that Rousseff offered to share her government's experiences in the matter.

Cartes expressed his appreciation for what "Braziguayans," Brazilians who arrived in Paraguay four decades ago to work in agriculture, have achieved.

"I have the greatest affection and admiration for the Brazilians who supported my country. The bravest of them stayed and had to face many adversities. Denying that they were the great masters of agriculture would be akin to keeping quiet about the truth. They made history in Paraguayan agriculture," Cartes underlined.

Brazil and Paraguay, Cartes said, knew how to let go of their past differences, including border disputes, and are destined to achieve much together.

Paraguay's suspension from Mercosur followed the legislature's snap impeachment in June 2012 of then President Fernando Lugo and was determined to last until new elections were held in April 2013, which brought Cartes to power.

Venezuela was voted a member in July 2012 and currently serves as president of the bloc, which could present an obstacle to regularizing Paraguay's membership.