Brazils Silva arrives in Venezuela to inaugurate bridge, discuss oil investments
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez met his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as he arrived in eastern Venezuela, where they were to inaugurate a bridge Monday to boost commerce between the South American countries.
Chavez smiled and placed his hand on Silva's shoulder as he introduced him Sunday to Venezuelan officials at the airport in Ciudad Guayana, an industrial city about 500 kilometers (310 miles) southeast of the capital of Caracas.
Chavez and Silva plan to discuss bilateral commerce and joint investments by the state-owned oil companies of both countries on Monday, Brazil's Foreign Ministry said in a statement. They will also attend a ceremony to inaugurate a bridge across the Orinoco River, the second bridge built near the border to help create a transportation corridor between the two nations.
Trade between the nations surpassed US$3 billion (euro2.3 billion) from January to September this year, Brazil's Foreign Ministry said.
The presidents will also discuss the joint construction of an oil refinery in the northeastern Brazilian state of Pernambuco, the ministry said.
Last year, the two leftist leaders laid the cornerstone for the proposed US$2.5 billion (euro1.9 billion) refinery expected to process heavy crude from Venezuela's Orinoco Belt and Brazilian offshore fields.
Petrobras has stakes in four oil fields and three natural gas fields in Venezuela and was also helping quantify heavy oil reserves in the Orinoco River basin.
The two presidents will participate in a ceremony marking the end of the quantification phase of the project.
(Published by Tawian News Online, November 13, 2006)