MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

FTAA and EU, priorities for Mercosur

Negotiations for the creation of a Free Trade Association of the Americas will continue paralyzed until “clear signs” of United States willingness to open its market to the rest of the continent have been received, specified a release Wednesday from the Argentine Foreign Affairs Secretary.

Representatives from Brazil and Argentina meeting in Buenos Aires coincided that "until United States shows clear signs of improving the openness of its markets for countries participating in FTAA talks, there will be no resumption of the hemispheric negotiation process", indicated the release.

Argentina's Economic Integration Under Secretary Eduardo Sigal and Regis Arslanian from Brazil's International Negotiations Department met "informally" Tuesday in Buenos Aires where they reviewed all of Mercosur different negotiations processes.

Talks for the creation of a free trade zone extending from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego sponsored by Washington and including all 34 countries but Cuba, have been stalled waiting for further market opening proposals from Washington.

Similarly regarding a trade agreement between Mercosur and the European Union, both officials reiterated that it was imperative to overcome the situation following last October's exchange of proposals impasse.

"We're expecting an improvement in the EU proposal", said Mr. Sigal underlining that Mercosur considers essential to reach an understanding with Europe, the South American block's main trade partner and investor in the region.

Last March an attempt in Brussels to bridge differences and re-launch October's stalled negotiations, failed.

October was a self imposed Mercosur-EU deadline to wrap up bilateral negotiations that have been ongoing for several years.

However Mr. Sigal and Mr. Arslanian made special emphasis that of all the negotiations in process, Mercosur has top of the agenda FTAA and the European Union.