Paraguay foreign minister Eladio Loizaga advanced some of the issues that will addressed on Monday's Mercosur presidential summit, when all of the members of the group's heads of state have confirmed their attendance, except Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro, plus leaders from associate members.
Mercosur is only waiting for the European Union to begin the political negotiations on the long delayed overall trade agreement, announced Paraguay's foreign minister Eladio Loizaga in Asunción, just back from Brussels where he met with EU and Belgian officials.
Paraguay's foreign minister Eladio Loizaga is in Brussels holding a round of talks with different European Union officials regarding the trade and cooperation agreement with Mercosur, while in Brazil Industry and foreign trade minister Armando Monteiro announced that Mercosur was finally ready to advance with a wide range proposal.
Mercosur heads of state next summit is scheduled for 21 December in Asunción, Paraguay, the country currently holding the group's chair. At the meeting the six-month rotating chair will be handed to Uruguay for the first half of 2016.
Once Mercosur and the European Union conclude their exchange of goods and tariff reduction proposals for the long awaited trade agreement, contents of the deal will be kept in reserve while negotiations are ongoing, with no access to media or public opinion, anticipated Paraguayan foreign minister Eladio Loizaga.
Mercosur foreign ministers meeting held this week in Paraguay to decide on the proposal to present the European Union for a trade agreement, apparently was not as satisfactory as announced because of Argentina's reluctance and 'reserves' about opening its market to the EU.
Mercosur agreed at the Brasilia summit that in the second half of the year they will address alternatives for the elimination of tariff and other similar barriers that impede the natural flow of trade of goods and services among its members. The initiative was agreed by Common Market Council, CMC, on the first day of deliberations and confirmed on Friday by the presidents of the group's full members.
Paraguay is committed to return Mercosur to 'its roots', reach an agreement on some of the original fundamentals, eliminate restrictions to inter-trade and strongly promote the trade accord with the European Union. This is scheduled to take place in the coming six months once Paraguay is handed Mercosur' chair at the group's midyear presidential summit that begins on Thursday in Brasilia.
Paraguay's foreign affairs minister Eladio Loizaga admitted in Madrid that Mercosur could consider the possibility of a two-speed system in trade and cooperation negotiations with the European Union. The minister was the main speaker at the event organized by Casa de America and the Spanish government news agency EFE.
Uruguay again complained about the current stalled situation of Mercosur and called for members to 'sincere' themselves regarding the compliance of the original 1991 founding charter, and hopefully we can at least reach the first stage of the chronogram: a free trade zone which effectively works and has not to bear the brunt of hurdles.