MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Mexico to join Mercosur “first half of 2006”

Mexico will begin the Mercosur incorporation process during the first half of 2006 announced Mexican president Vicente Fox during his stay in Mar del Plata, Argentina for the IV Americas Summit.

Mexico already is member of the North American Free Trade Agreement, Nafta, with United States and Canada and has similar accords with other countries in the region including Chile, Uruguay, Argentina and "will now try to resume an initiative that had remained dormant for some time".

"We're going to begin the full and formal process of Mexico's integration to Mercosur. We're on the right track and we want to take full advantage of the benefits of free trade", underlined President Fox.

"With Mercosur we're going to establish a significant relation of great interest for Mexico, becoming an active, fully integrated member hopefully no further away than the first half of next year" remarked the Mexican president.

When asked about a potential conflict of interests since Mercosur torpedoed the Summit's final resolution supporting the Free Trade Area of the Americas, Mr. Fox was quite explicit.

"My love is ample and for both agreements, for Mercosur and FTAA. If there's no love, if there's no "Yes" to my marriage proposal, well I'll keep insisting and I will continue offering more love to Mercosur and more love to FTAA, that is my position which is not contradictory", he emphasized.

Mercosur currently is made up of full members Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay plus associates Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Colombia, Peru and Venezuela.

Mexico is Latinamerica's largest economy, ahead of Brazil. President Fox is a fervent supporter of trade agreements and concludes his six years mandate in 2006 when general elections will be held.

Venezuela is scheduled to become a Mercosur full member next December.