RIO DE JANEIRO, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Monday sent a message to congratulate Jose Mujica for winning Uruguay's presidential run-off election, and pledged Brazil's support for his administration.

    Lula also pledged continued joint efforts with Mujica to enhance bilateral cooperation and boost friendship for the common development of both countries.

    He urged the two countries to join hands to help build the Common Market of the South (Mercosur) and a South America worth of the expectations of the two peoples.

    "Together, we will have better conditions to answer to the challenges and opportunities which will come to Latin America and the Caribbean," Lula said.

    He expressed the belief that under Mujica's leadership, Uruguay would continue to make greater progress since his government took office in 2005.

Uruguay's presidential election closes

MONTEVIDEO, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- Uruguay voting circuits have closed their doors this Sunday at 7:30 p.m. local time (2130 GMT), 12 hours after their opening this morning for the election that will define a successor to President Tabar Vzquez.

The leftist Jose Mujica, from the ruling party Frente Amplio (FA), comes as a favorite leading with seven percentage points in relation to his opponent Luis Lacalle of the National party (PN), surveys indicate. Full story