Mercosur

• Friday, November 13th 2015 - 08:09 UTC

  Argentina the 'main obstacle' in reaching a trade accord with the EU, claims Uruguay

  

  It's a fact, Argentina is the 'main obstacle' for Mercosur to advance in reaching a trade agreement with the European Union, and Venezuela, the latest incorporation to the group, is also hindering efforts, revealed Uruguay's Economy minister Danilo Astori during a conference on the country's investment prospects.

• Wednesday, November 11th 2015 - 07:35 UTC

  Uruguay hopeful of a more 'flexible' Argentina whoever wins on 22 November

  

  The Uruguayan government is hopeful that with president Cristina Fernandez no longer at the helm of Argentina, as of 10 December, a more flexible attitude can be expected from the newly elected authorities, particularly regarding Uruguay's intention of signing trade agreements with third parties, if Mercosur is not interested in such commitment.

• Wednesday, November 4th 2015 - 08:18 UTC

  Mercosur summit on 21 December; Uruguay takes the helm for next six months

  

  Mercosur heads of state next summit is scheduled for 21 December in Asunción, Paraguay, the country currently holding the group's chair. At the meeting the six-month rotating chair will be handed to Uruguay for the first half of 2016.

• Saturday, October 31st 2015 - 09:40 UTC

  UK and Brazil committed to exchange of EU/Mercosur market access offers by end of 2015

  

  The United Kingdom and Brazil reaffirmed on Friday their support for the success of the European Union/Mercosur Association agreement negotiations in the framework of the eighth meeting of the UK-Brazil Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO) which emphasizes bilateral cooperation and initiatives.

• Wednesday, October 21st 2015 - 06:45 UTC

  Mercosur and EU closer to begin negotiations; exchange of proposals will be under reserve

  

  Once Mercosur and the European Union conclude their exchange of goods and tariff reduction proposals for the long awaited trade agreement, contents of the deal will be kept in reserve while negotiations are ongoing, with no access to media or public opinion, anticipated Paraguayan foreign minister Eladio Loizaga.

• Friday, October 16th 2015 - 07:53 UTC

  Argentine Parlasur members will have immunity limited to their opinions

  

  Argentine elected members to the Mercosur parliament, Parlasur will not have immunity from imprisonment, according to a ruling from the country's Electoral Chamber. This means those Argentine candidates elected to the regional parliament on 25 October will only have immunity for their opinions while exercising their posts.

• Monday, October 12th 2015 - 06:22 UTC

  Scioli leads presidential race in Argentina but still a puff short to avoid runoff

  

  Argentine ruling party's candidate Daniel Scioli maintains a commanding lead in the presidential race but still lacks enough voter support to win outright in the first round, an opinion poll by the Poliarquia consultancy showed on Sunday.

• Monday, October 12th 2015 - 06:19 UTC

  “Under no condition, I might resign” says Brazil's Lower House speaker

  

  The speaker of Brazil's lower house of Congress ruled out resigning in response to pressure from colleagues over allegations that he took bribes and stashed the money in Swiss bank accounts.

• Monday, October 12th 2015 - 06:16 UTC

  Petrobras corruption scandal could reach US$ 5.3bn: “we've only seen the tip of the iceberg”

  

  Damage from the gargantuan corruption scandal centered on Brazilian state oil company Petrobras could amount to as much as 20 billion Reais ($5.3 billion), a lead prosecutor revealed last week.

• Monday, October 12th 2015 - 06:14 UTC

  Levy confident congress will finally approve austerity measures to help Brazil's economy

  

  The president Dilma Rousseff administration is geared to “preparing the country to deal with a new international reality”, Brazilian Finance Minister Joaquim Levy told Reuters in an interview on Saturday.