Mercosur

• Friday, December 19th 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  With no WTO agreement, FTAA is limited

  Without advances in multilateral negotiations, the Free Trade Association of the Americas, FTAA, will not progress forecasted the president of the World Trade Organization General Council Ambassador Carlos Pérez del Castillo.

• Friday, December 19th 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  Diplomatic rift between Argentina and Uruguay

  Argentine officials complained bitterly to Uruguay over the posting in Argentina of a military attaché who is accused of human rights abuses during the country's eleven years military dictatorship.

• Thursday, December 18th 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  Argentine Senate bribes case keeps expanding

  The former Argentine Senate official who last week blew the top of the Senate bribes scandal submitted as evidence an alleged “receipt” from one of the accused legislators.

• Tuesday, December 16th 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  Stigltiz: beware of FTAA

  Economy Nobel Prize Joseph Stiglitz recommended Argentine president Nestor Kirchner not to subscribe the United States sponsored Free Trade Association of the Americas, FTAA, and praised the current Argentine sovereign debt negotiation process with creditors.

• Tuesday, December 16th 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  Kirchner, Latinamerican man of the year

  Argentine President Nestor Kirchner was chosen Latinamerican Man of the Year by the influential Brazilian weekly magazine IstoE because, acting “without arrogance or chauvinism” he's dedicated to recovering the economy and self esteem of Argentine and Brazilian citizens.

• Tuesday, December 16th 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  ARA Irizar begins Antarctic season

  Argentine Navy icebreaker “Almirante Irizar” sails from Buenos Aires this Monday to begin the “full” Antarctic 2003/2004 campaign.

• Tuesday, December 16th 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  Iraqi oil for Repsol-YPF

  The Spanish Argentine oil company Repsol-YPF confirmed a contract to purchase oil from Iraq. This is Repsol-YPF's second contract since coalition forces ousted former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein.

• Tuesday, December 16th 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  Killing of US journalist in 1973 in Chile almost solved

  A Santiago Court of Appeals upheld a ruling this Monday contrary to a former Chilean Air Force intelligence agent accused of participating in the 1973 murder of U.S. journalist Charles Horman, whose case inspired the film “Missing.”

• Tuesday, December 16th 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  EU extends preferential tariffs until 2005

  The European Union Council of Ministers decided this Monday in Brussels to extend for another year, 2005, the preferential tariffs it grants to developing countries and which represent benefits for the Andean and Central American countries, according to EU sources.

• Tuesday, December 16th 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  Trade discussion unchanged, but there's a “window” of hope

  Members of the World Trade Organization, WTO failed in Geneva to reach an agreement for the relaunching of trade talks but officials are hopeful that at the beginning of the politically loaded 2004, progress can be achieved.