MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Timerman waters down Mercosur/EU agreement expectations

Timerman said Argentina favored an agreement, “as long as it is beneficial for both sides and does not sacrifice one single job in Argentina.”

Argentine Foreign minister Hector Timerman affirmed that a trade deal would not be signed between Mercosur and the European Union (EU) in the second summit of the Community of Latin American States (CELAC) and the European body, which is taking place in the Belgian city of Brussels.

 “Not an agreement. What we will make clear is that Mercosur already has a proposal and offer to exchange, and we want to listen to their side and in what condition they are in, because the information we have says that they have not been able to complete their offer and therefore an exchange cannot be made,” explained Timerman.

The minister insisted that he was in favor of an agreement, “as long as it is beneficial for both sides and does not sacrifice one single job in Argentina.”

“Mercosur wants to come to an agreement and Argentina will do everything possible to ensure that the agreement that we make with the EU, if we make one, especially benefits the people of Mercosur, because we believe that we cannot sacrifice the wellbeing of our people for an agreement that is not beneficial for us,” Timerman added.

In line with Argentina's stance, Brazil president Dilma Rousseff asserted in the summit that “Mercosur wants to make its proposal and we want to know if the European Union is ready for that.”

Rousseff confirmed that the Mercosur countries will present a proposal of goods and services to consider for a free trade agreement with the EU, and that they await an answer within “days or months”.