The megaproject would connect the Brazilian port of Santos on the Atlantic with the Peruvian port of Ilo on the Pacific.
Bolivia's Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade and Integration, Huáscar Ajata, highlighted the importance of the Bioceanic Railway Corridor as a historic and strategic project for the highland country, destined to become the hub of integration between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.
In an interview with La Razón Radio , the vice minister said that the reactivation of this ambitious plan is moving forward thanks to the good bilateral relationship with Brazil and the interest shown by other international actors such as China and Peru.
The bioceanic train, which would connect the Brazilian port of Santos on the Atlantic with the Peruvian port of Ilo on the Pacific, is considered by the Government to be key to strengthening the region's logistics infrastructure.
This was announced by President Luis Arce upon his return from the Mercosur summit, last week in Montevideo, Uruguay.
According to Ajata, although such projects require long periods of maturation, progress in negotiations is promising.
"We are working on formulating the project and, most importantly, on finding sources of financing to make it viable," he said.
The deputy minister also stressed the need for a robust infrastructure to handle the growing volumes of trade coming from countries such as China.
To this end, Bolivia is coordinating with Peru the use of the port of Chancay, which could become a key point for Bolivian exports and imports.
Among recent developments, Ajata mentioned the strengthening of relations with Brazil and Peru, as well as the interest expressed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in bioceanic corridors during the inauguration of the port of Chancay.
However, he acknowledged that there is still a need for deeper coordination with Peru to consolidate the project and establish concrete deadlines.
"The bioceanic train is not only a commercial project, but also an effort at regional integration. It is essential that it remains a state policy, regardless of the governments in power," he said.
The bioceanic train would not only facilitate trade between Mercosur countries, but would also connect the markets of South America with Asia.
The project was launched during the previous administration of President Evo Morales and his Brazilian counterparts Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Dilma Rousseff.
