CAF confirms effective support for Brazilian development

(Caracas, February 28, 2011).- During his visit to Brazil, Enrique García, president & CEO of CAF - Latin American development bank - held meetings with Miriam Belchior, planning minister; Tereza Campello, social development minister; Rui Nogueira, acting minister of foreign affairs; and Nelson Jobim, defense minister.

"Considering that one of the priorities of President Dilma Rousseff’s new administration is to implement the Program to Eradicate Extreme Poverty, coordinated by the Ministry of Social Development and Combating Hunger (MDS), CAF approved non-reimbursable funds to support the work to be done on defining the extreme poverty line" García said after the meeting with Minister Campello.

In his meeting with Planning Minister Belchior, the CAF chief welcomed the new representative for Brazil on the CAF Board. They analyzed the institution’s activities in the country, their potential for growth and CAF’s support for Brazilian states and municipalities through the financing of projects of economic and social infrastructure, basic services and environment. The minister said CAF was important for regional integration, especially its role as facilitator.

After meeting with Defense Minister Nelson Jobim, García reaffirmed CAF’s commitment to supporting the ministry’s activities through the CAF Cross-Border Cooperation and Integration Fund (COPIF) and under the CAF Cross-Border Development and Integration Support Program (PADIF), initiatives in line with its mission of promoting regional integration.

Finally, and as part of CAF's actions in favor of integration, during the meeting with the foreign minister García said cross-border integration was among the issues discussed. "Both Peru and Brazil, along with Colombia and Brazil, have asked for CAF support for diagnostic studies on cross-border integration and development with a view to improving infrastructure, generating employment, and environmental protection and are working to that end."