MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Mercosur stalled development and Honduras in Friday’s summit agenda

Uruguay's President Tabare Vazquez chairs the group until next January

Bureaucratic problems stalling the development of Mercosur is the main issue to be addressed at the presidential summit of the trade block next Friday in Asuncion, Paraguay, according to regional press reports.

Sources from Paraguay’s Foreign Affairs ministry Economic Policies Department confirmed that financial and trade issues will concentrate efforts from ministers and presidents, but the Honduras political crisis will also, most certainly, be debated during the talks in Asunción.

Mercosur strongly condemned the coup of last June 28th which removed elected president Manuel Zelaya and a strong declaration on the issue can be expected as well as proposals to overcome the situation.

However the global crisis, intra-Mercosur trade differences, social policies and the delayed incorporation of Venezuela as a full member are also included in the agenda.

Paraguayan president Fernando Lugo who currently holds the Mercosur chair to be formally handed to Uruguay next Friday said he expects “my colleague from Uruguay, Tabare Vazquez to achieve the necessary consensus to materialize the new customs system”, which has been paralyzed for years.

Another hurdle is the elimination of the double charge for the External Common Tariff, which should have been approved last December but remains pending.

Eight presidents have been confirmed for Friday’s summit: Argentina’s Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner; Brazil’s Lula da Silva; Uruguay’s Tabare Vazquez; Ecuador’s Rafael Correa; Evo Morales from Bolivia, Michelle Bachelet from Chile and Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez.