Brazil calls for greater South American integration

Brazil is determined to work together with its South American neighbors to achieve prosperity, a top Brazilian diplomat said Monday. At a meeting with South American diplomats in the capital Brasilia, Brazil's Foreign Minister Luiz Alberto Figueiredo praised the greater integration among the region's countries in recent years, and called for more cooperation. After centuries of being disintegrated and debilitated, South America was now undergoing a period of increasing integration, he said. "More and more, we face common challenges and try to address them with our own solutions by adapting ourselves to the reality," he added. According to the diplomat, South America has become a pole in a changing international system, and South Americans are increasingly aware of their role in this new global landscape. Figueiredo stressed that the greater integration of South America did not mean Brazil was drifting away from other traditional allies; instead, South American countries have recognized the importance of remaining united. "Regional integration is a result of acknowledgement that we have kept ourselves apart for too long and this distancing is unjustifiable," the minister said. "We are conscious of the challenges, specifics and diversity of this region. I see that as a source of richness and inspiration, because our intention is the same: to live in a peaceful, democratic, prosperous and just region," he added.