MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Mercosur adopts strong attitude.

Mercosur will present this month its trade proposals to the European Union and to the United States sponsored Free Trade Association of the Americas, but with the necessary safeguards to ensure the blocks economic and social development.

During the recent extraordinary meeting in Montevideo of Foreign Affairs Ministers from Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, Mercosur decided it was time for a more strict reciprocity bearing in mind "we're determined that jobs and investments remain in the area".

February 15 Mercosur must begin negotiating tariff conditions for goods and services in the framework of FTAA and at the end of the month with the European Union.

Brazil's Foreign Secretary, Celso Amorim said Mercosur will honour the timetable but "we're most interested in knowing what United States will be offering and its content".

Argentine Foreign Secretary Carlos Ruckauf indicated that "we must be more precise as to what kind of FTAA we're targeting; our objective is that all regional economies grow".

Uruguayan Foreign Affairs Minister Didier Opertti said it was essential to reach a specific solidarity concept among Mercosur members, "that makes us outstand from the rest of the continent".

With Brazil's presidential election behind and a more stable Argentina, Mercosur seems to have adopted a more firm attitude towards the coming trade discussions.

Mr. Amorim said that the European Union seems more motivated to listen and concede given the FTAA competition and its essential for Mercosur to "push forward with a more balanced strategy between the EU and FTAA, ensuring a better distribution of foreign trade".

Other issues addressed in the extraordinary meeting in Montevideo included converting the Administrative Secretariat in Technical Secretariat and the political decision for the creation of a Mercosur Congress directly elected by the people.

"This is a long term project, and it will begin as a consulting and advisory organization, although its work will have a growing influence in the block's decisions", said Mr. Opertti.

Ministers also agreed on another extraordinary meeting next March to address social issues common to all members, particularly "hunger".

Mr. Ruckauf said that both himself and Mr. Amorim came to the meeting with a specific mandate from presidents Eduardo Duhalde and Luda da Silva to address social issues, "that cannot be treated as an appendix of economic issues".

Full support for UN inspectors

More in line with the majority of Europe and the Security Council consensus, Mercosur Foreign Affairs Ministers subscribed in Montevideo a brief declaration regarding Iraq supporting United Nations and implicitly rejecting any Untied States and Britain unilateral decision.

1) Mercosur Ministers of Foreign Affairs reiterate their rejection of terrorism and of massive destruction arms. 2) Support peace efforts for the complete honouring of UN resolution 1441 (that obliges Iraq to cooperate with UN inspectors). 3) Following on this, they express their full confidence in the UN and AIEA inspectors who must take the necessary time to accomplish their task with total and integral cooperation from the government of Iraq. 4) Reiterate the role of the Security Council as the body responsible for keeping peace and international security, and the only one with legitimacy to use force.