The EU and Mercosur are working with the objective of closing an agreement before December 7, the date of the Mercosur summit in Brasilia
MADRID/BRUSSELS, Nov. 27 (EUROPA PRESS) –
Diana Mondino, designated as the future Foreign Minister of Argentina, has affirmed that the government of the elected president, Javier Milei, that the change of tenant in the Casa Rosada will not be an “obstacle” to closing the trade agreement between Mercosur and the Union European (EU).
“We are together with Brazil and we talk about the importance of signing the Mercosur-European Union agreement and with other countries like Singapore,” said Mondino, who has traveled to Brazil for a trip in which he has delivered an official invitation for the Brazilian president, Luiz Inácio Lula de Silva, participates in the inauguration of Milei.
On the other hand, he has pointed out that during his visit to Brasilia he has not addressed the issue of Argentina’s possible entry into the BRICS bloc – made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – which has recently invited several countries to join. enter it for expansion.
Thus, he has stated that he “does not see any advantages” in Buenos Aires joining the BRICS, after the outgoing president, Alberto Fernández, announced in October that Argentina had “begun the accession process” to the bloc, as reported by the Argentine state news agency, Télam.
For his part, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brazil, Mauro Vieira, has confirmed that he has addressed with Mondino “the possibility of bioceanic corridors, the external negotiations of Mercosur and the expansion of Mercosur’s decisions. “We want a greater and improved to benefit regional integration,” he added.
In this sense, he stressed that he has informed Mondino “in what areas, during this Brazilian presidency of Mercosur, which is now ending, and with what other countries and other regions negotiations are being held”, as reported by the Brazilian state agency of news, Brazil Agency.
“She expressed her pleasure in knowing it. For me that is what matters. We will work together with this Government until the end of the mandate and then with the new Government, knowing that there is this will to advance in Mercosur,” Vieira concluded.
Lula da Silva recently stated that Brazil, which holds the rotating presidency of Mercosur, seeks to announce the agreement with the EU before December 7. The European Commission has insisted on the objective of closing the trade agreement before the end of 2023.
In the past, the ultraliberal economist has criticized Mercosur, ensuring that the association with the countries of the Southern Cone goes against the commercial interests of Argentina and calling it a “defective customs union”, although the community spokesperson for Commerce, Olof Gill, highlighted After Milei’s victory, the European Executive continues working with the “deadline” of having the agreement ready before the end of the year.
Precisely this Monday, the trade ministers of the European Union meet in Brussels to take stock of the progress in the trade negotiations with third countries that the community bloc aspires to close before the end of the year, including that of Mercosur.
The economic vice president of the European Commission, Valdis Dombrovskis, will inform the ministers about the latest contacts between the two parties on an agreement for which they are “working intensely”, according to Dombrovskis himself in statements upon his arrival at the meeting.
Diplomatic sources from different European countries have in recent days been “expectant” about the way in which the change of Government in Argentina could affect the shared objective between the EU and the countries of the Southern Cone to close an agreement no later than the 7th. December, when the Mercosur summit will be held in Brasilia.
“We handle these dates as a window of opportunity,” said the Spanish Secretary of State for Commerce, Xiana Méndez Bértolo, who has argued that they have “never” been “so close” to closing this agreement – whose negotiations last decades -. Méndez explained that there are “constant” meetings between the EU and Mercosur that are being “very productive”, so she does not expect “changes” in the course of the talks for the change of Government in Argentina.
