MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

EU/Mercosur talks expected to resume in 2010

Benita Ferrero-Waldner on a three countries tour of Latinamerica

European Union Foreign Relations Commissar, Benita Ferrero-Waldner said on Monday that the Spanish presidency of the European Union in 2010 “should be a good moment and opportunity” to resume the stalled discussions of the European block with Mercosur.

The Austrian diplomat currently visiting Buenos Aires said that “it’s not that long for both blocks to reach an agreement”. But “some important issues and circumstances are pending”, she cautioned.

“We are not going to reformulate objectives, but anyway we must look out to see where we can land”, said Ferrero-Waldner who this afternoon invited Argentine president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner to visit EU headquarters in Brussels.

She recalled that EU-Mercosur talks are linked to the multilateral negotiations of the WTO Doha Round, but “with Spain presiding the EU and Argentina chairing Mercosur in the first half of next year”, we are optimistic”.

The EU Foreign Affairs representative arrived in Argentina as part of three-country tour of Latinamerica which also includes Mexico and Cuba.

Argentina’s Foreign Secretary Jorge Taiana said the Honduras issue was also included in the talks with President Cristina Kirchner and both leaders called for “a strengthening of democracy and the restitution of ousted President Manuel Zelaya”.

Mercosur (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela in the process of incorporation) have been in negotiations since 1999 on a Political, Trade and Cooperation Association agreement with the EU which has been stalled because of major obstacles with farm and industrial produce.

The EU is Mercosur’s main trade partner and the main investor in the region.