The customs union Mercosur forged by Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay meets this Sunday in Paraguay after negotiations with United Arab Emirates and ends on Monday with a presidential summit marked by the absence of the Argentine Javier Milei and the income of Bolivia as a full member.
The 64th Mercosur Summit At the port of Assumptionpreceded by an ordinary meeting this Sunday at ministerial level, takes place amid pressure from Uruguay in favor of a pact with China and a delayed treaty with the European Union (EU).
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Agreements are also expected to be signed on film and audiovisual co-production and disaster risk management, as well as a declaration on the fight against transnational organised crime.
In addition to the host president, Santiago Peñatheir peers from Brazil will attend, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva; Uruguay, Luis Lacalle Pou; and Bolivia, Luis Arce.
The Bolivian president could not miss the meeting despite the political instability at home, since he must formalize his country’s entry into the bloc after having promulgated the accession law on Friday.
The incorporation of Bolivia to the customs union after nine years of procedures”makes us a linchpin in the region“, Arce celebrated.
On June 26, troops with tanks besieged the headquarters of the Executive in Peace in what Arce denounced as a Coup attempta version that the ultra-liberal Milei rejected, thereby offending the Bolivian government.
The summit also coincides with a recent clash between Milei and Lula, after the former accused the latter of being a “left-handed” with the “inflated ego”.
Following these unhappy exchanges, the Argentine president announced that he would not attend what was to be his first regional meeting since taking office in December and that he would instead go to a conservative forum this weekend in Brazil.
“The goal is not to create an ideological block but rather to achieve integration.“, the Paraguayan foreign minister responded evasively, Ruben Ramirezto a question about it.
MORE INFORMATION: “Now the problem is them” says Lula on EU-Mercosur negotiations
The political scientist Alejandro Frenkelan expert in international relations at Argentina’s Universidad Nacional de San Martín, told AFP that these “conflict situations or political transition” probably have an impact on that “There may not be much initiative or very clear guidelines on how to move forward.” at the summit.
“The problem is them”
According to the agreement of the Mercosurmember countries are obliged to collectively negotiate any trade deals involving tariff preferences with nations or groups of nations outside the bloc.
At the preparatory meetings in Asunción, a first round of negotiations was concluded with United Arab Emirates and “There is great potential for trade expansion between the two parties.”, according to the Paraguayan foreign ministry.
Mercosur will also resume negotiations on a trade agreement with the European Union, which have been languishing for more than 20 years, following the conclusion of elections on the old continent.
Lula said in June in Italy that in these dialogues “Now the problem is them”, referring to the renewal of the European Comission already the legislative elections on Sunday in France.
If adopted, the treaty would allow the region’s agricultural powers to export meat, sugar, rice, honey and soya to Europe, while the EU would export cars, machinery and pharmaceutical products, among others.
But the agreement is facing resistance from some European countries, particularly France, which fears the massive influx of South American agricultural products.
“I don’t think there will be any progress on the issue of the European Union, especially now with what is happening politically in France.“Frenkel said.There is no willingness to move forward in Europe either.”.
SEE ALSO: European Commission assures that there is no decision to suspend negotiations with Mercosur
Uruguay, for its part, seeks to promote a free trade dialogue with China, a difficult mission since Paraguay lacks relations with the Asian country because it recognizes Taiwan and the two largest partners, Argentina and Brazilare not convinced of its viability.
“We must prepare the ground for the incoming president (in Uruguay) to insist that Mercosur has to be more flexible.“, said President Lacalle Pou last Sunday.
He Southern Common Market (Mercosur) was created in 1991 by Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. They are also full members Venezuelawhose entry was approved in 2006 but has been suspended since 2017 due to “breakdown of democratic order”, and now Bolivia.
:quality(75)/s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/elcomercio/bfae97da-fc74-4b90-9b2e-5ef724f1d3fc.jpg "Mercosur starts meetings in Paraguay with Bolivia as a full member and without Javier Milei 1")
