MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Timmerman and Amorim report to the Mercosur parliament in Montevideo

Timmerman and Amorim, achievements and targets

Argentina and Brazil’s Foreign Affairs ministers, Hector Timerman and Celso Amorim are expected Monday in Montevideo to report to the Mercosur parliament on the current situation of the regional block and future steps.

According to Argentine diplomatic sources, Minister Timerman is expected to offer the Mercosur lawmakers a review of the achievements reached while Argentina occupied the rotating chair (first half of 2010) of the group which also includes as full members, Paraguay and Uruguay, and Venezuela in the process of incorporation.

Amorim will talk about the objectives of the trade block in the second half of the year, under the chair of Brazil, and most important an update on the current round of trade negotiations with the European Union which according to last week’s statements from Brussels, a full agreement should be reached by mid 2011.

Delegates from Mercosur and the EU last week agreed on a calendar of future discussions, the next of which is scheduled to take place in Brasilia at the end of November, early December, before Brazil hands the Mercosur pro-tempore chair to Paraguay.

Uruguayan president Jose Mujica is expected to attend Parliament on Monday afternoon to be present when the two chancellors give their reports to the Mercosur parliament.