MONTEVIDEO – The interior ministers of Paraguay, Francisco Jose de Vargas, and Uruguay, Eduardo Bonomi, signed on Friday in Montevideo a memorandum of understanding to increase bilateral relations in matters of crime prevention, internal security and less conflict among citizens.

“This is the framework of an accord that will serve to exchange experiences, practices and models for taking action that are related to internal security and less conflict among citizens,” De Vargas said.

The Paraguayan official said that sharing these projects is a great help because both countries have security problems “that if not identical, are very similar.”

Bonomi added to the idea of “common or very similar problems” the fact that both nations have observed that a robbery may start in Uruguay and end up affecting Paraguay, and that at other times drug production in this country may later affect that country.

For that reason “everything related to shared programs and an exchange of information is indispensible for our work,” Bonomi said.

The signing of the accord came minutes before the inauguration of Mercosur’s 38th Meeting of Interior and Security Ministers and 44th Meeting of Ministers of Justice, being held in the Uruguayan capital since this country currently holds the pro tem presidency of that regional bloc.

Following the meetings of ministers will be the official ceremony for handing over Mercosur’s pro tem presidency to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.