Brazilian foreign minister Celso Amorim said today that South American integration continues to be a foreign policy priority.

He believes it is necessary to consolidate the South American bloc before focusing on a broader process of integration including the Central American and Caribbean countries: "We have excellent relations with Central America and the Caribbean ... our exports to those regions have grown considerably, but when you talk about integration you need to start with your own region."

Amorim stated that integration is important not only in order to boost trade between the countries of South America – which has increased significantly in the last four years – but also to establish the region as a competitive bloc in the international market.

He also pointed out that Brazil's exports to South American countries currently exceed its exports to the United States.

Source: Agência Brasil and Embassy of Brazil in London