Antonio Costa arrived in the Argentine capital on Monday to launch a Federal Mining Plan and take part in a business forum at the Foreign Ministry, among other activities.
Germany and Argentina voiced hopes Thursday for a free trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur as German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited Buenos Aires. In talks with Argentine President Mauricio Macri, Merkel discussed bilateral commerce and efforts to strike a deal with the Mercosur grouping of South American countries.
Argentina is a great producer of food commodities and is capable of feeding 400 million people, president Mauricio Macri said addressing in Beijing the One Belt One Road, OBOR, international cooperation summit, the Chinese initiative to promote peace and trade, which convened 29 world leaders from all continents.
President Mauricio Macri met on Monday midday with his Italian counterpart, Sergio Mattarella, who is in Buenos Aires on the first official visit by an Italian president to Argentina in 16 years. The two leaders underlined the unique links between Italy and Argentina and announced the re-launching of diplomatic and trade relations.
Mercosur and Japan resumed trade negotiations and exchanged data on the state of their respective agendas regarding the IV chapter of the bilateral dialogue. and reaffirmed their commitment to continue with the talks. The delegations met in Buenos Aires at the foreign ministry, chaired by Argentina which currently holds the pro tempore chair of Mercosur.
Mercosur and CER (Closer Economic Relations), with includes Australia and New Zealand, resumed trade talks this week in Buenos Aires, with Argentina currently holding the South American block presidency chairing the meeting.
The European Union and South American trade bloc Mercosur should intensify talks to reach a trade agreement this year, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said on Tuesday, urging haste after 18 years of negotiations.
An optimistic foreign minister Susana Malcorra said that Argentina expects the Mercosur/European Union trade agreement to be announced next December during the World Trade Organization meeting to be held in Buenos Aires, and which she described as an event of great political impact.
Argentine president Mauricio Macri is convinced that in the second half of the year Mercosur will sign the long awaited trade agreement with the European Union and will establish closer links with the Pacific Alliance, according to a report in one of Buenos Aires leading radios.
Mercosur and Canada re-launched discussions for a possible trade agreement this week, following a meeting of technical delegations in Argentina, which currently holds the chair of the South American group, and hosted the round of talks.