The exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union is of most concern to the administration of Argentine president Mauricio Macri, said foreign minister Susana Malcorra. It is a shock for world institutions, but it's too early to gauge the impact on the Falklands/Malvinas discussions.
Brazilian government would like to block Venezuela from taking the rotating presidency of Mercosur later this month, a move to further debilitate Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro's power, according to Planalto sources close to interim president Michel Temer, who admitted the proposal has yet to be discussed with other members.
Venezuela, in the midst of a most serious domestic political and economic situation, and with less foreign allies is scheduled to take the chair of Mercosur as of next June for the following six months. However it has been agreed that Uruguay will continue leading Mercosur negotiations with the European Union for a much delayed wide ranging cooperation and trade agreement.
Argentina's foreign minister Susana Malcorra held another round of talks with high level Chinese officers in Beijing, as part of her official visit to China to promote trade, investment and the special strategic relation between the two countries. But also cut short her visit to other countries to be back in Buenos Aires next Monday in time to meet with her new Brazilian peer, Jose Serra to address the bilateral agenda and Mercosur among other issues.
Uruguay's foreign minister Rodolfo Nin Novoa said on Thursday that all agriculture products are included in negotiations for a wide ranging trade and cooperation agreement between Mercosur and the European Union. The chief negotiator for Mercosur underlined that contrary to what was announced by some media, beef and ethanol are included in the proposals exchanged on Wednesday in Brussels between the two blocks.
Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström and the Foreign Affairs Minister of Uruguay Rodolfo Nin Novoa, on Wednesday exchanged EU and Mercosur offers on access to their respective markets of goods, services and establishment and government procurement. However this first exchange excluded 'sensitive' items such as beef and ethanol, according to EU sources. The details of the documents exchanged were not made public.
The European Union Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Phil Hogan, announced on Tuesday that beef will not be part of the current Mercosur trade deal negotiations. The news follows a meeting between the Commissioner and NFU Cymru, which was held on Glamorgan NFU Cymru Chairman, Abi Reader’s farm, in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales.
British Trade and Investment Minister, Lord Price said that Argentina and the UK are at the beginning of a new era in bilateral relations and in an excellent position to turn common interests into concrete business interests. Lord Price together with a mission of UK top business leaders ended on Friday a two-day visit to Argentina, the first in ten years.
British Trade and Investment Minister, Lord Price, leads the UK’s first trade mission to Argentina in ten years, which arrived in Buenos Aires on Thursday. The mission looks to strengthen trade and investment relations with the third largest economy of Latin America.
European farmers took to the streets of Dublin outside the EU Commission offices to highlight the potential “sellout” of the multi-billion-euro beef industry in trade talks with Mercosur. Concerns have been rising over discussions at EU level over the impact a deal with Mercosur would have on Ireland's €2.5bn beef industry, which depends on EU markets for over 90% of its exports.