MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Uruguay and Paraguay to fortify Mercosur.

Montevideo: Presidents of Uruguay and Paraguay Tabare Vazquez and Nicanor Duarte, respectively, agreed to meet to strengthen the Southern Common Market.

Mercosur is made up of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, with Chile, Bolivia and Venezuela as associates. Both heads of state expressed concern over efforts to establish bilateral accords not within the association, particularly by the US.

Uruguay is the best example with an agreement on mutual investment protection with the US signed by ex President Jorge Batlle 48 hours before his presidential term expired.

A study conducted by the Uruguayan Foreign Ministry demands for Legislative scrutiny of this agreement since its content compromises national sovereignty.

Article 17 of the accord demands rejecting every economic or commercial arrangement among Uruguayan companies or with third countries whose relations with the US are not satisfactory.

Paraguay is the acting chair of Mercosur, and Uruguay will substitute after the June 19-20 Summit in Asunción, hence Duarte's concern to remove the rough edges beforehand, like the regional political isolation generated by ex President Batlle's submission to the US.