Brazil, Paraguay reach agreement on resolving border issues

Brazil and Paraguay have reached agreement on resolving border issues by means of cooperation in fighting crime and facilitating flow of tourists, the Brazilian Foreign Ministry announced Saturday.

Officials of the two countries met on Friday in the Paraguayan capital of Asuncion to decide on joint efforts to crack down on crimes and promote tourism, according to the ministry.

One of the steps to resolve the border issues is to revive the International Friendship Bridge linking the two neighbors suffering tit-for-tat measures recently.

The two sides also managed to increase the 150-dollar exemption quota for Brazilian tourists to buy consumer goods in Paraguayan border cities.

The new value will come into effect approximately within 15 days to "stimulate further tourist flows in the border region," the ministry said, without giving the new ceiling for cross-border purchases.

Paraguay, on its part, has committed itself to cooperating in fighting illicit activities such as smuggling of goods, tax evasion, drug trafficking, piracy, money laundering and child prostitution.

The signed commitments are yet to be further reviewed by the two governments, the Brazilian ministry said.

The package of deals was struck following quarrels between the two members of the Common Market of the South, which also includes Argentina and Uruguay.

Amid the controversies, Brazil has recently tightened its crackdown on smuggling from the Paraguayan city of Ciudad del Este,leading to Paraguayan measures against illegal Brazilian workers.

On Tuesday, the Paraguayan authorities deported 150 Brazilians without legal immigration documents.

Paraguay also insisted on raising the purchase quota for a Brazilian tourist in Paraguay from 150 US dollars to 500 dollars.

Source: Xinhua