“British sovereignty over the Malvinas Islands as such is not accepted by the European Parliament”, according to a visiting delegation of EU lawmakers who met with their Argentine peers in Buenos Aires.
Uruguayan president Jose Mujica called on Spain for a more decisive role in the trade and cooperation agreement discussions between Mercosur and the European Union which have been going on for over a decade.
For several days beginning Wednesday Uruguay, as its neighbours, Brazil and Argentina will be ruled by a woman. Lucia Topolansky, Fist Lady but also Senator and third in the succession line will become interim president since her husband is off on an official trip to China and Europe, and Vice-president Danilo Astori will be attending the Alliance of the Pacific summit in Colombia.
“British sovereignty over the Malvinas Islands as such is not accepted by the European Parliament”, according to a visiting delegation of EU lawmakers who met with their Argentine peers in Buenos Aires.
The chairman of the European Parliament Delegation for relations with Mercosur, MEP Luis Yañez Barnuevo currently visiting Argentina and Uruguay said he was “confident the trade agreement between the Mercosur bloc and the EU will be signed at the beginning of 2014”.
Brazilian Foreign minister Antonio Patriota said he was hopeful that the European Union and Mercosur could advance this year towards a trade agreement they have been negotiating so far unsuccessfully for almost fifteen years and also warned about the coming EU/US trade talks for a comprehensive accord.
Brazilian businesspeople and diplomats expressed their disappointment with Mercosur and said it was crucial for Brazil to sign free trade agreements on its own with third countries, which under current rules of the South American trade block are not allowed.
Argentine president Cristina Fernandez downplayed immediate discussions for the trade and cooperation agreement between EU and Mercosur arguing that the South American block should elaborate and discuss new proposals to be presented to the Europe Union on the last quarter of this year.
The European Union expects to advance cooperation and trade discussions with Mercosur late this month in Chile in the sidelines of the EU/Celac (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States), said EU ambassador in Chile, Rafael Dochao Moreno.
The European Union and Mercosur will resume talks on a free trade agreement during a coming summit in Brazil and later at a meeting in Santiago de Chile, both in January, according to the EU chief delegate in Brazil, Ana Paula Zacarias.