MOSCOW, July 23 (RIA Novosti) - The 37th two-day summit of the South American largest trade bloc Mercosur opens in Paraguay on Thursday.
Ministers of foreign affairs, industry and trade, finance, public health service, social policy and education of Mercosur member-states will meet on Thursday in Asuncion, the capital of Paraguay, to prepare agenda for the meeting of their presidents on July 24.
The presidents of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay - Cristina Kirchner, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Fernando Lugo and Tabare Vasquez - will discuss the global financial crisis, trade and economic cooperation, the use of national currencies in trade operations, integration and social issues, spread of A/H1N1 virus and Venezuela's accession to Mercosur.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and the leaders of Mercosur associate members Bolivia and Chile, Evo Morales and Michelle Bachelet, are also expected to attend.
Mercosur is the largest union in South America, with total population of more than 250 million.
