Argentina's Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero Monday stressed that the trade agreement between Mercosur and the European Union (EU) is hindered by what he called the “asymmetries” between the two blocs.
Uruguayan Foreign Minister Francisco Bustillo Monday told his Mercosur colleagues in Puerto Iguazú that “from the first day we warned that Mercosur had been won over by immobility” and insisted no progress regarding deals with other countries or blocs had been achieved during Argentina's pro tempore presidency of the alliance ending Tuesday.
Presidents of all four Mercosur members (Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, and Paraguay) will convene Monday in Puerto Iguazu in the Argentine northeastern province of Misiones for the 62nd bloc summit, also attended by dignitaries of the bloc's associate members.
The Argentine city of Puerto Iguazú in the province of Misiones will host the LXII Mercosur Summit on July 3 and 4, during which Alberto Fernández will pass on the pro tempore presidency of the bloc to his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inácio Lula Da Silva, it was announced Friday in Buenos Aires.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenski was told to change his plans after seeking to make a virtual appearance during Thursday's Mercosur Summit in Asunción.
Although Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro is not attending the Mercosur summit in Paraguay, his administration continues with its policy of unilaterally reducing the common external tariff. In this case Brazil's Foreign Trade Chamber Executive Committee approved the reduction of import tariffs on thirteen items, including medicines, medical equipment, printing ink and polypropylene resin. Tariffs were cut to zero or reduced to 2%, from 2% and 6,5%.
Mercosur Foreign Ministers Monday agreed to hold the upcoming Summit of the Group in Asunción on July 21. It will be the first face-to-face encounter of all four regional leaders since all previous meetings involving all four current leaders were all held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Uruguay stood out for its dissenting stance at the 59th Summit of the Common Market of the South (Mercosur) Friday after President Luis Lacalle Pou refused to sign a joint declaration.
Argentina's Ambassador to Brazil Daniel Scioli Wednesday said Friday's Mercosur Summit posed no risk of tensions between Presidents Alberto Fernández and Jair Bolsonaro, despite former Brazilian leader Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva's recent appearance at a ceremony in Buenos Aires.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro Wednesday decided that the upcoming Mercosur Summit, scheduled for Dec. 16 and 17, which was to be the first in a long while under the old face-to-face format, has been reshaped to be held virtually like most recent ones.