Mercosur

• Tuesday, November 6th 2012 - 18:22 UTC

  Uruguay confirms in Argentina incentives for arriving tourists this summer season

  

  The Uruguayan government confirmed on Monday a raft of measures to attract Argentine tourists and compensate the restrictions in Argentina to purchase foreign currency (dollar-clamp) and the 15% retention fund for credit or debit cards operations outside the country.

• Tuesday, November 6th 2012 - 07:04 UTC

  Mercosur ‘denying Paraguay its legitimate right to the pro-tempore chair”

  

  Mercosur is denying Paraguay its legitimate right to the pro-tempore chair of Mercosur next 7 December at the presidential summit in Brasilia when Uruguay will receive the relay from Brazil. On that same occasion Venezuela will be attending the meeting as full member for the first time, reports the Asuncion media.

• Tuesday, November 6th 2012 - 06:59 UTC

  Mujica after in-depth discussion on ‘a real integration of Mercosur” with Chavez

  

  Uruguayan president Jose Mujica has plans to meet two, probably three times before the end of the year with his peer from Venezuela, Hugo Chavez to address “a real integration” of Mercosur, not limited to trade, but at the same time admitting that Venezuela is rapidly becoming one of the main markets for Uruguayan exports.

• Saturday, November 3rd 2012 - 04:20 UTC

  IMF top marks for Uruguay’s economy but beware of inflation and wage indexation

  

  An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission headed by Ulric Erickson von Allmen visited Uruguay from October 22 to November 2 to conduct the country’s annual Article IV consultation. At the conclusion of the visit, Mr. Erickson von Allmen division chief in the IMF’s Western Hemisphere Department issued the following statement in Montevideo:

• Friday, November 2nd 2012 - 06:44 UTC

  Chavez promises attendance, God willing, to Mercosur summit in Brasilia

  

  President Hugo Chavez said on Thursday that he will be attending the coming Mercosur presidential summit next 7 December in Brasilia and assured Venezuela is speeding up so the country can display all its potential within the political and trade block.

• Thursday, November 1st 2012 - 07:10 UTC

  Brazilian minister in Caracas to discuss Venezuela’s Mercosur adaptation process

  

  Brazilian foreign minister Antonio Patriota is scheduled to meet on Thursday with his Venezuela peer Nicolas Maduro to discuss a bilateral and regional agenda which is expected to emphasize on current issues related to Mercosur, the coming December summit and Paraguay’s situation.

• Wednesday, October 31st 2012 - 20:12 UTC

  Mercosur members, except Paraguay, de-listed from EU import preference scheme

  

  The European Union issued on Wednesday its revised import preference scheme - known as the Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP) - for developing countries most in need which will take effect from 1 January 2014, revealing that all Mercosur full members, except for Paraguay, will no longer benefit.

• Monday, October 29th 2012 - 14:16 UTC

  Mercosur and EU committed to continue advancing in trade and political talks

  

  The Brazilian Foreign ministry revealed in a brief release that during October discussions between Mercosur and the European Union representatives both sides “confirmed their commitment to advance negotiations to achieve a wide ranging, balanced and ambitious agreement”.

• Monday, October 29th 2012 - 13:00 UTC

  Argentina and Iran meet in Geneva to discuss 1994 deadly bombing in Buenos Aires

  

  Argentine and Iranian representatives are meeting in Geneva on Monday to discuss a 1994 bombing of a Jewish aid association in Buenos Aires that killed 85 people and injured 300 others, the Argentine Foreign Ministry said Sunday.

• Monday, October 29th 2012 - 12:26 UTC

  With the charisma of Lula da Silva, Brazilian ruling party takes control of Sao Paulo city

  

  Fernando Haddad of Brazil’s ruling Workers Party, a protégé of ex-president Lula da Silva, won Sao Paulo’s mayoral runoff election, according to official results. With 92% of ballots counted, Haddad had secured 56% to defeat his opposition rival and former presidential candidate Jose Serra of the Brazilian Social Democratic Party who received 43.9%.