Uruguay Foreign Affairs minister Luis Almagro said that the political situation in Venezuela makes it quite improbable that the three-times postponed and since delayed Mercosur summit can effectively take place in Caracas sometime in the next two months.
At the end of May Mercosur will be ready to exchange tariff-reduction proposals with the European Union, announced Brazilian Industry minister Mauro Borges who also anticipated the trade block would be holding a preparatory meeting next week in Caracas, Venezuela.
Brazil confirmed this week that for the end of May or early June, Mercosur will be presenting its joint tariff-reduction proposal to the European Union for the conclusion of an ambitious, but long delayed, cooperation and trade agreement.
Paraguay's foreign minister Eladio Loizaga said that there is no date for the several times suspended Mercosur summit, but a technical meeting is scheduled for next week in Montevideo when the issue, among others will be addressed. Nevertheless he insisted that the different bodies of Mercosur are working normally.
It took time and effort, but believe it or not in less than two months time, Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay will be presenting their joint tariff reduction proposal to Europe for discussions on an ambitious Mercosur/EU cooperation and trade agreement that has been on the table since 1999, said President Jose Mujica.
Argentina's Hector Timerman and Paraguay's Eladio Loizaga will be meeting Monday in Asunción to address among other issues the three times delayed Mercosur summit, which should take place in Venezuela, and must be decided before next June when the group's six-month chair again rotates.
Argentine cabinet chief Jorge Capitanich confirmed on Tuesday 'significant advances' in the elaboration of Mercosur's joint proposal to exchange with the European Union for discussions on a much delayed wide ranging cooperation and trade agreement.
Mercosur expects to present a joint proposal regarding tariff reductions to the European Union during a meeting next June, according to Brazil's Minister of Development, Trade and Industry, Mauro Borges who apparently convinced a reluctant Argentina to join the group.
The European Union and Mercosur held last Friday in Brussels the technical meeting, as was scheduled to assess the state of negotiations for a long delayed and ambitious association and trade agreement, but concluded with no calendar for the exchange of tariff reduction proposals, which is central to the discussions.
Mercosur and European Union chief negotiators met on Friday in Brussels to define if conditions are ready for the exchange of tariffs reductions proposals with the purpose of reaching an ambitious trade agreement which was started back in 1999 and has yet to mature.