Defense: Brazilian initiative for a South American Defense Council

Mercopress reports that Nelson Jobim, Brazil's Minister of Defense, announced he will be visiting neighboring countries to promote the Brazilian initiative for a South American Defense Council. Addressing the Defense and Foreign Affairs committees of the Brazilian Congress Jobim said he wiil be traveling this Monday, to Venezuela, Surinam and Guyana the first leg of the regional tour.

Later on Minister Jobim is planning to meet with officials from Colombia, Peru and Ecuador and sometime in the second half of the year he would be traveling to meet with the governments of Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Chile and Bolivia.

Brazil, South America's largest country has borders with all the continent's countries with the exception of Chile and Ecuador.

"The purpose of these visits is to draft a mid term or possibly long term South American defense identity so that we can have a strong, united continent," said Jobim to members of the two congressional committees.

The South American Defense Council should help to coordinate joint military exercises among the different member countries and could also include the collective participation in United Nations peace operations.

Mike Hitchen, Mike Hitchen Consulting Publisher of
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