THREE OCEAN PASSWAYS IN UNASUR PLAN

Brasilia, April 26 (PL)- The construction of three Ocean passways to join the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans are included in a 31-work plan the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) will present to the 12 member nations of the regional bloc.

The project is expected to join the two oceans through roads, railways, and/or seaways, UNASUR representatives stated during a meeting with Brazilian business people on Tuesday at the headquarters of the Federation of the Industries of the State of Sao Paulo (FIESP).

In addition to the three corridors, the Infrastructure Priority Agenda, as the plan is called, includes the construction by 2022 of 1,500 kilometers of gas pipelines, 360 kilometers of transmission line, 3,400 kilometers of seaways, 5,100 kilometers of roads and 9,700 kilometers of railways, among others.

When presenting the project at the FIESP, UNASUR General Secretary Maria Emma Mejia, from Colombia, stated that the greatest contribution generated by those infrastructure works will be increased integration among South American countries, facilitation of mobility and trade.

Mejias stated that the regional body created a working group to study feasible ways to finance the works, in which multinational banks and forms of funding from government and private companies will be the sources to be consulted, according to a report from Agencia Brasil.

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