MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Lula da Silva/Mrs. Kirchner bilateral meeting following the summit

Argentina’s Foreign Affairs minister Hector Timerman

Once the Mercosur summit is over, on Tuesday afternoon, the presidents of Argentina, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, and of Brazil, Lula da Silva, are to hold a meeting in San Juan to analyse bilateral relations, said Foreign Affairs minister Hector Timerman.

The summit’s official agenda states that on Monday, Foreign Ministers listen to an Argentine report on “the regional integration process in its diverse aspects,” which was carried out during the six months that Buenos Aires was in charge of the pro-tempore presidency of the bloc, the Foreign Ministry said.

Among the progress made during the six months, Argentina highlights the “re-launch of negotiations with the European Union with the objective of reaching an Inter-regional Association Agreement.”

The negotiations between both blocs had been interrupted since 2004, although France opposes reducing its agricultural subsidies, one of the main Mercosur complaints for the eventual formation of a bi-regional association agreement.

Brazil will be taking the Mercosur rotating chair for the next six months.