Brazil's president, Luiz da Silva, has proposed a joint venture between Mexico's state oil company Pemex and Petrobras to explore oil in the Gulf of Mexico. This proposal was made during a telephone call between the two leaders. The announcement came as the foreign ministers of Mexico and Brazil met in Colombia to discuss their economic ties. The partnership could potentially help PemEx exploit other deepwater fields in the region, helping towards the goal of self-sufficiency for gasoline and reducing reliance on natural gas.