Mercosur

• Wednesday, December 15th 2010 - 04:17 UTC

  Mercosur with the best growth performance in the region in 2010

  

  Mercosur full member countries with the exception of Brazil will have the best growth performance in the region this year, according to the annual report from the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, Cepal which was announced this week in Santiago de Chile.

• Tuesday, December 14th 2010 - 06:48 UTC

  Brazilian president-elect will work for stronger Mercosur institutions

  

  Brazilian president-elect Dilma Rousseff will attempt to strengthen Mercosur institutions and establish a protagonist dialogue with United States, according to the presidential advisor on international affaire Marco Aurelio García who has been confirmed in his post.

• Monday, December 13th 2010 - 23:26 UTC

  Paraguay finally says ‘aye’ to Venezuela’s Mercosur full membership

  

  Venezuela’s incorporation as a full member of Mercosur has been secured following the confirmation of a political agreement in Paraguay, the only of the four-country group that still had a vote pending in congress.

• 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.