Brazil government responds to Uruguay's chancellor statements

Brazil's government received with profound discontent and surprise the statement from Uruguay Chancellor about the visit of Minister of Foreign Affairs José Serra. Brazil has expressed its stance on trying to prevent Caracas from leading Mercosur. Last week, the Uruguay's Foreign Minister Rodolfo Novoa accused Brazil of trying to "buy" Uruguay's vote in the controversy involving the rotating presidency of the Mercosur trade bloc.

In a meeting at Uruguay's Chamber of Deputies, Novoa also said that José Serra went to Uruguay with the intention of convincing the country to take along in trade negotiations.

On Tuesday (Aug. 16), the Brazilian Foreign Ministry summoned Uruguay's ambassador in Brasília Carlos Daniel Amorín-Tenconi, to explain Novoa's commments.

During the conversation with Amrín-Tenconi, Foreign Ministry Secretary-General Marcos Bezerra Abbott Galvão expressed "profound discontent" with Uruguayan remarks.

According to Brazil's diplomatic authorities, Brazil defends a Mercosur's rotating presidency "that meets the minimum legal requirements for its mandate."

According to the Foreign Ministry, during his visit to Montevideo, Serra discussed with the Uruguayan foreign minister about market opportunities that both countries could jointly penetrate.

"In this context, the Brazilian government received with profound discontent Chancellor Nin Novoa's statement about Chancellor Jose Serra's visit to Uruguay, which would have been made during a hearing of the International Affairs Committee of the Uruguayan Chamber of Deputies, on August 10. The content of the statements is not compatible with the excellent relationship between Brazil and Uruguay," argued the Foreign Ministry.

Translated by Amarílis Anchieta