Mercosur

Thursday, August 22nd 2013 - 00:44 UTC
‘Positive meeting’ of Cristina Fernandez with business, bank and union leaders

Leaders of some of Argentina's most important business groups praised the meeting held in Rio Gallegos with president Cristina Fernandez, where the head of state spoke with representatives of companies, banks and unions for more than three hours.
Thursday, August 22nd 2013 - 00:40 UTC
Argentina purchases Chinese equipment to improve the railway system

Argentina approved a contract to purchase railway equipment from a Chinese firm, said the government gazette. The contract was signed by the Argentine Ministry of the Interior and Transportation and the Chinese firm CSR Qingdao Sifang Co, Ltd on May 23, 2013 and officially approved with Administrative Decision 584/2013.
Thursday, August 22nd 2013 - 00:39 UTC
Argentina’s trade surplus down 40% in July; unemployment fell to 7.2%

Argentina's trade surplus shrank by 40% in July from a year earlier as surging fuel and auto imports increased pressure on President Cristina Fernandez government's system of currency controls. However the unemployment rate in the second quarter fell to 7.2% according to official data.
Thursday, August 22nd 2013 - 00:37 UTC
China’s CNOOC and Dow in line to sign agreements to develop Argentina’s shale deposits

YPF, the energy company in which Argentina holds a majority stake said its next shale oil and gas partnership will be with a group including China’s Cnooc. A deal is expected to be signed sometime next month.
Thursday, August 22nd 2013 - 00:35 UTC
Rio do Janeiro mayor questions Brasilia’s 2016 Olympic Games policy

The mayor of Rio de Janeiro has said it is a shame his city will be hosting the Olympic Games in 2016 because Brazil lacks a sports policy. Eduardo Paes said that his city should not pay for high performance athletes.
Wednesday, August 21st 2013 - 18:55 UTC
Falklands: Ambassador Castro says comments on PM Cameron were ‘taken out of context’

Argentina's ambassador to Britain said on Wednesday she had not meant to offend British Prime Minister David Cameron when she called him “dumb” and his handling of the long-running dispute over the Falkland Islands “foolish and totally useless”.
Wednesday, August 21st 2013 - 18:50 UTC
Chile/Argentina row: Lan Chile evicted from Buenos Aires metropolitan terminal

Chilean president Sebastián Piñera has instructed Foreign minister Alfredo Moreno to immediately contact Argentine authorities following the decision by the government of President Cristina Fernandez ordering Lan Chile to move out from the metropolitan airport of Aeroparque in Buenos Aires.
Monday, August 19th 2013 - 13:23 UTC
Mercosur ‘remains a fiction’ admits Uruguayan foreign minister

Mercosur as an only market ‘remains a fiction’ since it is missing the effective implementation and ironing out of trade and macroeconomic reforms, said Uruguayan foreign minister Luis Almagro, who went on to promote “double and triple membership” for Mercosur members.
Monday, August 19th 2013 - 13:12 UTC
Uruguay calls on Mercosur to sign a free trade agreement with United States

Uruguayan Vice-President Danilo Astori said Mercosur must decisively address the signing of a free trade agreement with the United States, but also admits that “opportunities must be built”.
Friday, August 16th 2013 - 02:57 UTC
Paraguay new president pledges ‘war on poverty’ and improved relations with neighbours

Conservative businessman Horacio Cartes was sworn in as president of Paraguay on Thursday, amid slowly improving relations with South American neighbors, and Mercosur members, damaged by the 2012 removal of populist President Fernando Lugo, who was impeached on incompetence.