Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva delivers a speech during the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) Summit of Heads of State in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Dec. 7, 2023. (Xinhua/Wang Tiancong)
SAO PAULO, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Thursday that the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) "cannot remain oblivious" to the tensions between Venezuela and Guyana over the Essequibo border region, advocating a negotiated solution between the two countries.
"An important issue that we must discuss is the question of Essequibo. Mercosur cannot remain on the sidelines," Lula said in his opening speech at the Mercosur Summit of Heads of State in Rio de Janeiro.
Lula also offered Brazil as the location for negotiations between Guyana and Venezuela to settle their long-running territorial dispute over Essequibo.
"Brazil is willing to host as many negotiation meetings as necessary. We do not want or need more war, especially on our continent. We have to build peace to improve people's lives," Lula stressed.
He added he will submit a draft declaration on the dispute to Mercosur.
Attending the summit were the presidents of Mercosur member countries -- Argentina's Alberto Fernandez; Uruguay's Luis Lacalle Pou; and Paraguay's Santiago Pena, as well as Bolivian President Luis Arce, whose country is in the process of becoming a full member of the South American integration bloc. ■
