Mercosur

• Tuesday, May 26th 2015 - 06:44 UTC

  Argentina invokes unity and rejects proposal for a more 'flexible' Mercosur

  

  Brazil and Uruguay's plan for a more 'flexible' Mercosur to speed negotiations for an encompassing long delayed trade agreement with the European Union have stumbled with the first official reaction from Argentina, which does not agree with the tariffs' proposals policy or individual trade initiatives from member countries.

• Monday, May 25th 2015 - 08:00 UTC

  Brazil/Uruguay expect Paraguay to join in speeding Mercosur/EU negotiations

  

  Uruguay will be hosting Paraguayan president Horacio Cartes in early June when he is expected to confirm' his country's support to Uruguay and Brazil in their renewed approach to accelerate negotiations for the signing of a full cooperation and free trade agreement with the European Union, which were started fifteen years ago.

• Friday, May 22nd 2015 - 05:49 UTC

  Brazil and Uruguay on an “urgent and necessary” redesign of Mercosur

  

  Uruguayan president Tabare Vazquez said it was “urgent and necessary” to redesign Mercosur so as to give its members greater 'trade flexibility'. Vazquez made the statements following Thursday meeting with his peer Dilma Rousseff in Brasilia and underlined “it would be naive to admit that Mercosur as it stands currently, is satisfactory”.

• Thursday, May 21st 2015 - 07:27 UTC

  Uruguay and Brazil summit to consider a more flexible Mercosur

  

  Uruguayan president Tabare Vazquez will be meeting his peer, Dilma Rousseff in Brasilia this Thursday to address a dense bilateral agenda, and more specifically the workings and future of Mercosur, in search for a more flexible group, open to agreements with third parties.

• Friday, May 15th 2015 - 07:53 UTC

  Uruguay convinced Mercosur will be more flexible regarding trade accords with third parties

  

  Mercosur countries have reached a basic consensus to look for mechanisms that will allow individual members to negotiate trade agreements outside the block, announced Uruguay's foreign minister Rodolfo Nin Novoa, who has been leading a strong campaign (with Brazilian support) on the issue.

• Wednesday, May 13th 2015 - 08:05 UTC

  Bolivia closer to Mercosur full membership; coming summit in Brasilia decisive

  

  Bolivia is closer to becoming a full member of Mercosur following on Argentina's ratification of the Adhesion Protocol.

• Tuesday, May 12th 2015 - 06:05 UTC

  Argentine presidential election next 25 October and run-off 22 November

  

  The Argentina government formally announced on Monday the primary and national elections calendar, which for the first time includes direct vote for representatives to the Mercosur parliament. Simultaneous primaries will be held on 9 August while the presidential election on 25 October.

• Monday, May 11th 2015 - 10:16 UTC

  Vazquez and Rousseff meeting will address Mercosur/EU trade negotiations

  

  Uruguay and Brazil presidents, scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting next 21 May in Brasilia will be addressing Mercosur issues, and advancing in the proposal that will allow the group's members to sign bilateral agreements with third parties not belonging to the region, thus avoiding the 'consensus' clause clamp.

• Thursday, May 7th 2015 - 06:55 UTC

  Brazil wants to review Mercosur 'liberty' rules; sends strong public message to Argentina

  

  Brazil has proposed reviewing Mercosur rules so that its members can enjoy more 'liberty' to negotiate trade agreements with other blocks or third parties, because even when “Mercosur is an indissoluble marriage, this does mean that relations can't be discussed” and thus a 'different speeds' group should not be discarded.

• Wednesday, May 6th 2015 - 07:04 UTC

  Uruguay calls for an end to Mercosur 'hollow rhetoric' which undermines jobs

  

  Uruguay's foreign minister Rodolfo Nin Novoa called on Mercosur to overcome “hollow rhetoric” and advance towards the elimination of barriers which restrict access to other markets and intra-region trade.