MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

European Union and Mercosur meet in July

The European Union will make a formal tariff reduction proposal when the next negotiation round with Mercosur to be held early July in Montevideo, "and we expect something similar from Mercosur", said in Brussels European Union Foreign Affairs Commissioner Chris Patten.

"We'll be taking to Montevideo a specific and written tariff proposal", stressed Mr. Patten after meeting with Brazilian Foreign Affairs Minister Celso Lafer in Brussels, adding that "we've always been accused of moving slowly, so we expect the other side to express a clear commitment to advance". However both Mr. Patten and Mr. Lafer agreed in the complexity of the coming talks which involves two regional groups and not merely countries. Brazilian Minister Lafer underlined the importance of simultaneous negotiations both with Europe and "with the United States in the framework of the All Americas free trade area project". "It's clear to the Europeans that the Americans have a great interest in the Americas Free Trade Association talks, and therefore the European presence helps to balance Mercosur, to balance trade, investments and co-operation", said Mr. Lafer. "Mercosur's objective is trade diversification and multilateralism", indicated Mr. Lafer. Other issues in the Patten-Lafer agenda included the Kyoto Protocol, Colombia's situation, the need for a new round of World Trade Organisation talks and preparing the Euro-latinamerican summit next year in Madrid.