Brazil To Set
Up Ethanol Plant In Costa Rica For
Export To The US
Costa Rican president, Oscar Arias,
and Brazil's president, Luiz Inacio
Lula da Silva, met yesterday in a
formal meeting of the two presidents
in San Jose, to discuss bilateral
relations and commercial ties
between Mercosur and SICA.
Lula committed Brazil to deepen
commercial ties between his country
and Costa Rica, signing several
agreements of co-operation during
his official visit.
"This was a visit that the people of
Costa Rica have been waiting
anxiously. In Costa Rica, we admire,
we appreciated your for your
leadership, for what you have done
in your country, but also for the
leadership you have exercised within
the Group of 20, certainly, Latin
America is proud of your leadership
Within this group", Arias told his
Brazilian counterpart.
"Over the past seven years, we took
the decision to orient Brazil more
toward South America, Latin America,
involving Central America and the
Caribbean. I think what we are
building is going to slowly, but it
is going walking and moving ahead a
lot", said Lula.
One of the commitments by Brazil is
to establish an ethanol production
plant in Costa Rica for expoer to
the United States or including
exports to Brazil.
Lula said that the ethanol
distribution in the US is part of
the trade deal between the US and
Brazil and this would be a example
of how to integrate a small economy
like Costa Rica's to one big as
Brazil.
The Brazilian president said that he
has been talking for some time with
Brazilian businessmen to set up shop
in Costa Rica and the export back to
Brazil the finished product.
Arias added that it is not only
important for Costa Rica, but for
all of Central America, to develop
better commercial ties with Brazil.
"For every dollar we export to
Brazil, we import $24", said Arias,
who added that he is looking forward
to talks with Tabaré Vázquez (the
presidente of Uruguay), who will
assume the Mercosur presidency, when
he, Arias, assumes the SICA
presidency on July 1.
Lula sees the Vázquez and Arias ties
as a positive move for the region.
During the official meetings and
ceremonies, one minute of silence
was observed for the victims of the
downed Air France flight that took
off from Rio de Janeiro, en route to
Paris, with 228 on board.
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