France warned Tuesday that it is following closely European Union/Mercosur trade talks to ensure that farmers from both blocks are strictly subjected to the same rules.
United States, China and the European Union announced they would recognize south Sudan as the world’s newest nation. President Barack Obama went further and rewarded north Sudan for its cooperation by taking it off a terrorism blacklist.
Adjusting to the “new reality,” was top of the agenda at the World Economic Forum on Tuesday. Some 2,500 business leaders, politicians and social activists are looking forward, while trying to anticipate unexpected shocks, it was reported.
The year 2011 will be economically challenging and painful, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso warned this week. After two years of economic recession, Barroso expects a difficult year ahead and underlined the need for Europe to make progress on economic governance and policy coordination.
Following the 30% expansion in 2010, Brazilian exports are forecasted to grow 12%, in 2011 according to Foreign Trade Secretary Weber Barral. He added that in 2010 the recovery was quite strong compared to the downturn of 2009, but in 2011 global trade growth rate is expected to slow down.
British Prime Minister David Cameron has joined forces with France and Germany to demand a real-terms freeze in the European Union budget until the end of the decade.
Conditions are ready to reach in the short term a trade agreement with the European Union, said Paraguayan president Fernando Lugo whose country, and for the next six months, holds the pro tempore chair of the South American block.
Trade negotiations between the European Union and Mercosur are making progress and are on track for a possible trade agreement by mid-2011, following coincidences on several controversial points.
The European Union Mercosur trade agreement is still far from becoming a reality and the coming Ibero-American summit in Mar del Plata early December is not expected to signal any significant achievement in this field, according to Spanish political analysts who anticipate some advances towards the end of next year.
European Union leaders and President Barack Obama over the weekend made a point of stressing EU/US close ties after a low-key summit in Lisbon ended with a pledge to push for a deal in the Doha trade negotiation next year.