Mercosur

• Monday, August 20th 2012 - 04:39 UTC

  Ecuador willing to resume talks once UK withdraws ‘threat’ regarding embassy

  

  Ecuador has been, and is open to dialogue to the UK if London withdraws its “threat” to raid the embassy in London to arrest Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, according to Ecuador’s Foreign minister Ricardo Patiño who revealed that the two countries had been holding bilateral discussions on the issue for the last two months.

• Monday, August 20th 2012 - 01:42 UTC

  Ecuador insists in Mercosur interest, but admits it will be a long process

  

  Ecuador has reiterated its intention of joining Mercosur but this needs to be compatible with the rules from the Community of Andean Nations, CAN, (to which it now belongs) said Ecuadorean ambassador Horacio Sevilla Borja.

• Saturday, August 18th 2012 - 06:12 UTC

  First shipment from Mercosur latest member to the south: 14.000 tons of urea

  

  Venezuela dispatched on Friday a shipment of 14.000 tons of urea for Brazil and Uruguay, the first since becoming a full member of Mercosur, reported the official Venezuelan news agency.

• Thursday, August 16th 2012 - 04:52 UTC

  Unasur not after reinstatement of Lugo; wants political dialogue in Paraguay

  

  Unasur (Union of South American Nations) wants to closely accompany the democratic restoration process in Paraguay and is not after the reinstatement of removed president Fernando Lugo, said Peruvian Foreign Affairs minister Rafael Roncagliolo.

• Thursday, August 16th 2012 - 02:26 UTC

  Mujica working for more trade agreements and a Mercosur with ‘flexibility’

  

  Uruguay needs “new markets and new partners” and must try to diversify trade with the largest possible number of agreements to make Mercosur more flexible and anticipate the current process in Argentina, said President Jose Mujica.

• Wednesday, August 15th 2012 - 23:50 UTC

  Uruguay discourages short-term capital inflow to ensure macroeconomic stability

  

  Uruguay's central bank unveiled measures on Wednesday aimed at cooling the local Peso's appreciation by discouraging foreign investment in the bank's short-term debt. To combat the Peso's rise, officials ordered that 40% of new foreign capital invested in central bank bills be frozen in an account at the central bank.

• Wednesday, August 15th 2012 - 09:43 UTC

  Unasur ratifies sanctions; Paraguay president more concerned with OAS position

  

  Unasur ratified on Tuesday Paraguay’s suspension from the block at a meeting of the so called High Level Group in Lima, Peru which assessed the situation of the landlocked country.

• Wednesday, August 15th 2012 - 09:10 UTC

  Paraguayan president calls for moderation from the Senate on the Venezuela issue

  

  Paraguayan president Federico Franco called for moderation and time from members of Congress when they begin considering Venezuela’s request to become a full member of Mercosur, since the issue needs of “a good in depth analysis and no hasty decision”.

• Tuesday, August 14th 2012 - 23:38 UTC

  Mercosur farmers plan to sow record soybean area; stocks drop to half from a year ago

  

  Mercosur farmers in Brazil and Argentina are forecast to plant more soybeans for harvesting this season in response to higher prices, at the expense of wheat and corn sowing, according to Oil World. Paraguay and Uruguay Agriculture ministries have also anticipated an increase in the soybeans planted areas.

• Saturday, August 11th 2012 - 11:45 UTC

  Uruguay will continue with Mercosur but is also interested in the Pacific alliance

  

  Uruguay will continue “to look after” Mercosur in spite of the strong diplomatic discrepancies with Argentina, but will also continue with an interest in participating in other trade blocks of the region, said President Jose Mujica.