The creation of the Mercosur Parliament was today marked by a formal ceremony in the federal senate.

The ceremony was attended by President Lula, foreign minister Celso Amorim, and parliamentarians from each of Mercosur's five member states – Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela.

The Mercosur Parliament will initially consist of eighteen congressional representatives from each of the five countries. In the second phase, due to begin in 2010, the representatives will be directly elected by secret ballot.

The parliament will contribute to the consolidation of South American integration and the fostering of regional cooperation. Part of its role will be to establish mechanisms to facilitate the incorporation of Mercosur norms into the laws of the five member states.

Source: Ministry of External Relations and Embassy of Brazil in London