MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Contents rather than timetable

In the midst of austere celebrations of Mercosur's tenth anniversary, and the ministerial meetings leading to the Quebec summit, the block's main partners, Argentina and Brazil confirmed that "contents will define the extent of integration, and not timetables".

Last week talking to foreign businessmen and investors Brazilian president Fernando Cardoso insisted that "Mercosur is our destiny, and the Free Trade Association of the Americas, an option", to which Brazil will adhere only under favorable conditions.

Mr. Cardoso said that there's no timetable for Brazil's integration to the potential all Americas block, --presumably in 2005--, "but as far as we are concerned the most important thing is to know whether this free trade area will allow access to our produce, particularly the American market".

Almost simultaneously, in a column published in the daily "Clarín", Argentine Foreign Affairs Minister, Adalberto Rodríguez Giavarini argues that Mercosur is Argentina's "main key" of access to the all Americas Free Trade Association.

"The timetable discussion", for the future trade integration, "is trivial since contents will define the extent of the integration process".