Russia has been invited to a summit of the South American common market MERCOSUR in December, the acting Russian foreign minister said Wednesday.

"Today at the meeting with the president of Uruguay Russia received an invitation to take part in a MERCOSUR summit in December 2007," Sergei Lavrov said.

"We will duly respond to this invitation," he said.

This year marks the 150th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Russia and Uruguay, the latter currently holding the six-month rotating presidency in MERCOSUR.

The South American common market (MERCOSUR) was established in 1994, and its full members are Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela are its associated members.

The four countries` zone of free trade has no customs duties or other limitations on 90 percent of the commodities; common tariffs on 85 percent of the imported goods are coordinated.

Today MERCOSUR is Latin America`s largest integrated market, with over 45 percent of its population, or over 200 million people.
sections: Politics, World News