MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Mercosur/EU anticipate results in Vienna summit

Mercosur and European Union representatives meeting in Buenos Aires Wednesday agreed to relaunch bilateral negotiations for a cooperation and free trade treaty which has been bogged for months.

Spain's Foreign Affairs minister Miguel Angel Moratinos currently on a Latinamerican visit to several countries said that in the meeting "we achieved the political thrust needed for the negotiation to advance, which becomes the most important ingredient when technical experts can't reach an agreement".

During the press conference following the meeting in the San Martin Palace, seat of Argentina's Foreign Office, Mr. Moratinos next to Argentine Foreign Secretary Jorge Taiana underlined the "political commitment of Portugal, Spain and Mercosur to advance negotiations with the objective of achieving the best in the coming Vienna summit", next May.

According to Argentine diplomatic sources ministerial representatives from Mercosur, Spain and Portugal exchanged ideas on the current global situation and analyzed bi-regional relations between Mercosur, Latinamerica and European Union

Other issues included arrangements leading to the Vienna EU/Latinamerica summit and negotiations between EU and Mercosur.

As to the coming Vienna summit both sides confirmed the "highest political level participation" next May and the commitment to push for the consolidation of the strategic bi-regional relation, "advancing on pending issues of shared interest".

Meantime in Montevideo the president of the Mercosur Permanent Representatives Committee, Carlos Chacho Alvarez, proposed a framework of strong institutions for the region following on the EU experience.

Among the proposals are the creation of a Social Affairs Institute; a Public Administration School; an Energy Observatory and offices linked to a Frontiers Strategic Plan.

"We want a Mercosur close to the people underlining on those issues which make every day life, have little exposure and are not under the foot of big organizations. Mercosur is only identified with commercial policies and that must change", said Mr. Alvarez.

Apparently these initiatives have been discussed with Argentine president Nestor Kirchner; Brazil's Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva; Paraguay's Nicanor Duarte Frutos and Uruguayan vice president Nin Novoa.

The Social Affairs Institute proposal is scheduled to be considered at the end of March in Montevideo and a few days before, in coincidence with the 15th anniversary of the founding of Mercosur, Montevideo will also be the seat for the first formal meeting of Mercosur's Parliament.