Lula: Trade relations with Venezuela are''irreversible'' http://www.telesurtv.net/noticias/secciones/nota/70999-NN/lula-relaciones-comerciales-con-venezuela-son-irreversibles/

Brazilian President Lula Da Silva said Wednesday that the business relationship between his country and Venezuela is "irreversible" and that the integration of South American peoples will strengthen the continent's economic growth, following the signing of 22 cooperation agreements between both nations. "I understand that Venezuela has become an incredible partner in Brazil and whereabouts of many Brazilian entrepreneurs who are gaining money and increasing the standard of industrialization," the president said from Brasilia in a press conference with his Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chávez. 

It also reported that bilateral trade between both nations amounting more than 5 billion dollars and is expected to grow in coming years for the purchase of raw materials to Venezuela and the construction of the Abreu e Lima refinery in Pernambuco (east). "This will balance and strengthen our balance," said Lula.  "I have no doubt about the politics of Venezuela. The relationship is irreversible between Venezuela and Brazil," Lula said it fulfilled its final year as president.  He recalled that on August 3 there will be another meeting, which will be the tenth between both countries within the signed agreements, which will oversee what was signed on Wednesday. 

For its part, the president of Venezuela, Hugo Chávez, thanked his Brazilian counterpart and all efforts for both nations to join in the areas of commercial, social, economic, cultural, technological, cooperation over the past eight years .  Under the ninth working meeting between the leaders, Chavez thanked "President Lula and stated that all this momentum in the last eight years wich he has given this relationship that scarcely existed before."He explained that "today we have agreed a new set of agreements, projects that add up to a huge network of projects, agreements, joint cooperation programs, the entire front of the battle social, political, technological, productive and cost (.. .) certainly have done what ever was done in two centuries. " 

The Venezuelan leader confirmed the importance that Venezuela has given the 17th bilateral meeting since his Brazilian counterpart came to power and "ninth since we started with the initiative of Lula to meet every three or four months."  "Nobody can go back on what we have been building," Chavez said and considered that  the South American union is absolutely vital to shaping a new world, called many things, one multipolar world, wich will no longer be bipolar, unipolar in wich  Bolivar spoke of the balance of the universe, and everything indicates that from here in this vast territory that begins in the Caribbean, passing through this gigantic plain and ends in Patagonia, indicates that South America should begin a power pole, a project that was Bolivars,of  Abreu de  Lima and go in that direction. " 

Chavez said that as this is the last year of Lula as president of Brazil , "I will conclude by saying that sincerely from my  heart in the sirit of brotherhood, when  history writes of this century, she will give you the place where you belong in this great journey of building a new world. " After finishing his words, President Lula gave him a team jersey autographed by Brazilian soccer's top players who will leave in the coming weeks the 2010 World Cup. 

During this meeting, both heads of state signed 22 cooperation agreements, among which a record of commitment between the companies Petroleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA) and Braskem for the marketing of naphtha, a byproduct of oil refining and as well as other petrochemical products. In the area of finance, the Bank of Venezuela agreed with Brazil's Banco Caixa Economica Federal by  increasing access to banking services between the two South American countries. 

Also signed was a contract for Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuaria (Embrapa) to conduct agricultural research in Venezuela. Chavez and Lula also reviewed the progress of joint projects for the production of soy and its derivatives. It was also initialed the establishment of a special border between the two countries to gear economic, legal, health and transportation, among others, to facilitate the integration and promotion of border tourism. 

The last bilateral meeting was held in October 2009 in the northeastern Venezuelan town of El Tigre, Anzoátegui state, during which the two heads of state signed 15 agreements, mainly in the areas of oil and gas. Relations between the two nations received a boost in 2003 after the arrival of President Lula to power. These quarterly meetings pursue the strengthening of democracy through the very social, physical and energy integration, development and border security, economic complementation and integration, as well as environmental protection and preservation of the Amazon.