Brazilian president Michel Temer said that Portugal and Spain are determined to help speed trade negotiations between Mercosur and the European Union. Temer made the announcement on hosting Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa who was on a brief visit to Brazil for the Community of Portuguese Language Countries summit in Brasilia.
Uruguayan Industry, Energy and Mining minister Roberto Kreimerman called on the European Union and Mercosur members to double efforts and advance in negotiations to achieve a wide ranging association agreement which has been discussed for almost two decades.
The president of the European Commission Jose Durao Barroso said on Tuesday that the EU 27 members still want to reach a free trade agreement with Mercosur, but warned that the “protectionist stances” from some of its members makes it difficult.
The European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton described relations with Latinamerica as ‘strategic’ and called for an intensification of political dialogue with the region of which the EU is the main foreign investor.
European Union and Latin American leaders called for a quicker pace in concluding the EU/Mercosur cooperation and trade negotiations. The statement took place during the meeting in Brussels of the Euro-Latinamerica Parliamentary assembly.
European and Latinamerican leaders agreed in Brussels that the two continents should continue to strengthen links in spite of the serious financial and economic situation facing the European Union.