Caracas, 26 Ene. AVN.- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez informed Thursday that he will welcome Thursday Peru's Defense Minister, Alberto Otalvora, in order to continue fostering the relationship with sister nations to achieve integration in South America.

"We are speeding up mechanism for integration in the South. The South American unity to strengthen in this great South American homeland a territory of peace," said the Venezuelan President during a graduation ceremony of 306 rank-and-file officers of Venezuela's Bolivarian National Armed Forces.

In the yard of Venezuela's Military Academy, Chavez said "there we go, with all our differences between one country and another, between one government and another."

Last Tuesday, the Venezuelan President held a meeting with Brazilian Defense Minister Celso Amorim, in which they tackled with issues in matters of security and defense.

Subsequently, Minister Amorim and his Venezuelan counterpart, Henry Rangel Silva, met to tackle with issues as security, defense, technology, as well as exchange in matters of education, military and improvement of officers, in order to strengthen the relationship between the two countries.

"There we go, heading firmly towards the integration of this huge region: South America, that is the great homeland," Chavez remarked.

The Venezuelan President said that he held a phone conversation last Wednesday with Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, in which "we checked the progress of bilateral relations, ready as we are not to let any foreign factor derail the relationship between Colombia and Venezuela and take us to any conflict."

"They will not lead us to any conflict. We will continue progressing with our people, our governments, discussing our differences but a single will of peace, unity and joint work," he added.