MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Paraguayan congress should vote Venezuela's incorporation to Mercosur before December summit

Minister Loizaga said he was working with his Mercosur peers on the incorporation process

Foreign minister Eladio Loizaga revealed that the Paraguayan congress must first approve Venezuela's protocol of incorporation to Mercosur before the country can attend the coming bloc's summit scheduled for next 17 December in Caracas.

"We are working on it with our Mercosur peers to find a way out", said minister Loizaga who added that most probably Paraguay will be representing Mercosur in the coming trade and cooperation negotiations with the European Union scheduled for some time in December. "Things are happening, are being acknowledged and they will be assessed when decision time comes, but it will not only depend on the Executive but also on Congress", said Loizaga speaking with media following a visit to Congress. To that purpose, Loizaga recalled that the approval of Venezuela's incorporation protocol to Mercosur is still pending and that "situation will logically have an impact in December, it's a natural consequence of events". In August 2012 the Paraguayan congress unanimously rejected Venezuela's incorporation to Mercosur. The situation was in reply to Mercosur decision to suspend Paraguay from the bloc, which was the opportunity adopted to let Venezuela in, (without Paraguay's vote). Regarding Mercosur foreign ministers meeting on Wednesday in Caracas, Loizaga said Paraguay did not attend precisely because the issue is in 'the congressional process'. More specifically on an invitation from Venezuela's president Nicolas Maduro to his Paraguayan peer Horacio Cartes, Loizaga said much depends on agendas. At the end of the month Cartes is flying to Rome where he is scheduled to meet with Pope Francis.