Mercosur

• Wednesday, December 23rd 2015 - 09:17 UTC

  Macri's priorities: Mercosur, trade agreement with EU and the Pacific Alliance

  

  Argentine president Mauricio Macri pledged full support for Mercosur which he defined as a 'long term strategic project', called for a quick trade agreement with the European Union and closer ties with 'our partners from the Pacific Alliance'.

• Wednesday, December 23rd 2015 - 08:02 UTC

  Argentina's Falklands' claim and rejection of oil activities reiterated at the 'new' Mercosur summit

  

  Mercosur full and associate members ended their Paraguay summit signing six joint statements, one of which in support of Argentina's sovereignty claim over the Falklands/Malvinas Islands and rejecting 'non authorized' hydrocarbons exploration in the Argentine continental shelf. This is the first regional document related to the Falkland Islands Argentine claim since Mauricio Macri took office last 10 December.

• Tuesday, December 22nd 2015 - 15:37 UTC

  Strong exchange on human rights between Macri and Maduro's representative

  

  At a summit marked by strong differences between Argentina and Venezuela, Mercosur signed a statement in defense of the “unrestricted support of human rights”. Earlier in the day there was a serious exchange between Argentine president Mauricio Macri who demanded all political prisoners in Venezuela be set free, and president Nicolas Maduro foreign minister who replied that Macri was 'meddling' in Venezuela's affairs and was applying a 'double standard' on the issue.

• Tuesday, December 22nd 2015 - 15:29 UTC

  Chile calls for a South American convergence; pledges to bring together Mercosur and Pacific Alliance

  

  Chilean president Michelle Bachelet called for “a convergence among governments” of South America despite the “political and ideological differences”, and anticipated that Chile will strongly promote the rapprochement between Mercosur and the Pacific Alliance.

• Tuesday, December 22nd 2015 - 14:31 UTC

  Brazil welcomes and supports Macri's policies regarding the dollar and trade

  

  The Brazilian government has welcomed Argentina's realistic foreign exchange policy unifying the Argentine peso exchange rate, saying the latest economic measures taken by the Mauricio Macri administration will be “very positive” for the commercial relationship between the two countries.

• Monday, December 21st 2015 - 07:00 UTC

  Mercosur summit agenda includes trade, energy, human rights; Venezuela's Maduro absent

  

  Paraguay foreign minister Eladio Loizaga advanced some of the issues that will addressed on Monday's Mercosur presidential summit, when all of the members of the group's heads of state have confirmed their attendance, except Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro, plus leaders from associate members.

• Monday, December 21st 2015 - 06:50 UTC

  Mercosur identifies 80 intra-trade non tariff barriers and discuss their elimination

  

  Mercosur members have identified over eighty non tariff barriers currently effective in intra-trade and have agreed on their gradual elimination, a proposal to be considered by the group's presidential summit when they meet Monday in Asuncion, Paraguay.

• Friday, December 18th 2015 - 20:22 UTC

  The Islands are 'Falklands', according to Aerolineas Argentinas magazine 'Alta'

  

  Aerolínas Argentinas magazine “Alta” has committed an 'un-excusable' blooper in its English edition. In effect, in a long article from the November edition, and praising Argentina's aeronautic and space industry, available in all Aerolíneas flights the Islas Malvinas are referred to as the Falkland Islands.

• Saturday, December 12th 2015 - 02:55 UTC

  All presidents confirmed attendance of Mercosur summit, including Macri and Maduro

  

  The presidents of Mercosur member-countries have confirmed attendance to the group's summit scheduled for next 21 December and hosted by Paraguay, the country that currently holds the rotating chair, according to diplomatic sources in Asuncion.

• Friday, December 4th 2015 - 05:55 UTC

  Mercosur waiting for EU proposal; summit to be held at Conmebol convention centre

  

  Mercosur is waiting for the European Union to decide when to begin the exchange of tariff-reduction proposals with the purpose of reaching an encompassing trade and cooperation agreement, despite France's objections to the move, said Rigoberto Gauto, Paraguay's deputy foreign minister. Paraguay currently holds the Mercosur chair and leads negotiations with Brussels.