Chavez meets Brazilian FM on Mercosur adaptation

Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez (R) and Brazil's Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota shake hands after their meeting at the Miraflores Palace in Caracas, Nov 1, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

CARACAS - President Hugo Chavez met Thursday with visiting Brazilian Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota on the adaptation process after Venezuela joined the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) in August.

Chavez told Patriota that both sides are working to classify Venezuelan products and define a common tariff on foreign commodities.

He also said Patriota's visit was a "powerful message from Brazil and from Mercosur" following his re-election on Oct 7.

"Venezuela knows how to start the most powerful engines in the building of a great South American power, whose major driving force is the brother country of Brazil," he said.

Chavez also confirmed his attendance at the next Mercosur summit scheduled for Dec 7 in Brazil.

Earlier in the day, Patriota held closed-door talks with his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro, in preparations for the next meeting between Chavez and Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff to advance Venezuela's tariff adaptation process.

Mercosur comprises Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela, with a policy of signing trade deals as a group.