[NYTr] Lula Asks Congress To Expedite Venezuela's Mercosur Entry
 
Date: Wed, 3 Oct 2007 19:57:03 -0500 (CDT)

Via NY Transfer News Collective  *  All the News that Doesn't Fit
 
Dow Jones - Oct 2, 2007
http://www.nasdaq.com/aspxcontent/NewsStory.aspx?cpath=20071002%5cACQDJON200710021719DOWJONESDJONLINE000660.htm

Lula Asks Congress To Expedite Venezuela's Mercosur Entry

By Gerald Jeffris

BRASILIA -- Brazil's president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva Tuesday called upon allies in the country's congress to expedite approval for Venezuela's entry into the Mercosur trade bloc, congressional party leaders said.

The president reportedly made the request at a meeting to discuss strategies for getting government-backed legislation approved.

A proposal to allow Venezuela's entrance into Mercosur will be voted on by the foreign-relations committee of the lower house on Oct. 24. The proposal must also be approved by the lower house itself and by the senate.

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez has twice provoked the ire of Brazilian lawmakers in recent months, calling them "submissive to U.S. interests."

Several lawmakers thereafter said they would vote to reject Venezuela's entrance into the trade bloc.

Brazil's congress has delayed its approval while it studies whether Chavez' government meets the requirements of the "democratic clauses" in the Mercosur charter.

The Mercosur trade bloc currently includes Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. 
                                 *
=================================================================
 NY Transfer News Collective     *    A Service of Blythe Systems
           Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us
            Our main website:   http://www.blythe.org
   List Archives:       http://blythe-systems.com/pipermail/nytr/
   Subscribe:     http://blythe-systems.com/mailman/listinfo/nytr
=================================================================