Mercosur

• Monday, December 13th 2010 - 22:48 UTC

  Argentina lifts trade blockade: Paraguay will attend Mercosur summit

  

  Paraguayan president Fernando Lugo will be attending the Mercosur summit this week following on Argentina’s guarantee that the blockade on Paraguayan goods and merchandise imposed by an Argentine maritime union will be lifted, effective Monday.

• Monday, December 13th 2010 - 01:08 UTC

  President Lugo confirms he will not attend the Mercosur summit

  

  Paraguayan president Fernando Lugo confirmed Sunday he would not be participating of the Mercosur summit next December 17, unless there is a quick solution to the blockade of Paraguayan trade by Argentine maritime unions, announced Sunday afternoon Foreign Affaire minister Hector Lacognata.

• Saturday, December 11th 2010 - 06:01 UTC

  Mercosur summit threatened by Argentine boycott on Paraguayan foreign trade

  

  A Mercosur internal conflict involving Argentina and Paraguay which is conditioning the coming presidential summit in Brazil and has again suspended a vote for Venezuela’s final incorporation to the group, seems to have escalated in the last 24 hours.

• Friday, December 10th 2010 - 04:31 UTC

  Venezuela’s Mercosur incorporation hostage of Argentine/Paraguay conflict

  

  Paraguayan president Fernando Lugo for the second time in a year withdrew the request from Congress for the approval of Venezuela’s incorporation as a full member of Mercosur. This leaves the issue for next year.

• Thursday, December 9th 2010 - 07:57 UTC

  Paraguay/Argentina Mercosur conflict: unions declare “five-day truce”

  

  The blockade of landlocked Paraguay’s maritime and fluvial trade which threatens Mercosur unity has been “granted” a five-day truce by the Argentine maritime workers union responsible for the industrial action.

• Wednesday, December 8th 2010 - 16:27 UTC

  Mercosur/EU trade negotiations on track for Brussels meeting in March

  

  Trade negotiations between the European Union and Mercosur are making progress and are on track for a possible trade agreement by mid-2011, following coincidences on several controversial points.

• Wednesday, December 8th 2010 - 05:10 UTC

  US and Israel criticize Mercosur members’ recognition of the state of Palestine

  

  United States disapproved of the recognition of a Palestine state from the part of several Latin American countries, saying that direct negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians are still “the only way” to reach peace in the Middle East.

• Tuesday, December 7th 2010 - 20:26 UTC

  Paraguay will not attend Mercosur summit if Argentina doesn’t lift fluvial blockade

  

  Landlocked Paraguay has called on Argentina to put an end to the blockade of Paraguayan maritime agencies which has virtually cut the country’s foreign trade. Paraguayan Foreign Affairs minister Hector Lacognata also revealed that if the month-long issue is not solved in the next few days, “Paraguay will be absent from the coming Mercosur summit December 15”.

• Tuesday, December 7th 2010 - 08:06 UTC

  Mercosur and Syria scheduled to begin trade negotiations at next summit

  

  Mercosur and Syria are scheduled to sign an agreement to begin trade negotiations at the group’s next summit in Brazil, December 15, according to official sources in Damascus. Syrian president Bashar al-Assad earlier this year visited South America to promote trade and political links, particularly with Brazil that has a large Syrian community.

• Sunday, December 5th 2010 - 23:35 UTC

  Paraguayan leader calls Senate to vote Venezuela’s incorporation to Mercosur

  

  President Fernando Lugo called on the Paraguayan political establishment “not to identify Venezuela with President Hugo Chavez” and reiterated support from lawmakers to vote for the incorporation of Venezuela as a full member of Mercosur.