The presidency of the Paraguayan delegation at the Mercosur Parliament, Parlasur called on Argentina to improve the ‘reduced’ price it currently pays for surplus power from the shared hydroelectric dam of Yacyretá.
Paraguay's opposition-controlled Congress rejected a constitutional reform that would have let President Fernando Lugo run for re-election. The reform drive, led by Lugo's supporters, proved controversial in a country where many people have painful memories of General Alfredo Stroessner's 35-year dictatorship.
Presidents from Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Ecuador have confirmed they will be attending the Mercosur summit in Paraguay next June 28/29, when the rotating chair of the group for the next six months will pass on to Uruguay.
The European Union and Mercosur admit they have internal problems that are delaying discussions, and results, for a broad association and cooperation accord that contemplates a trade agreement questioned by strong interests from both sides.
The apparent impasse in the European Union/Mercosur trade talks was addressed by the Paraguayan president Fernando Lugo at a meeting on Tuesday with Members of the European Parliament and the EU delegation to Mercosur negotiations.
The existence of ‘inconveniences’ with Mercosur largest economies is delaying reaching a trade agreement with the European Union, according to Germany’s Ambassador before the government of Paraguay, Claude Robert Ellner.
Uruguayan president Jose Mujica strongly supported the incorporation of Venezuela as full member of Mercosur from a Sunday column published in one of Brazil’s most influential newspapers, Folha de Sao Paulo.
Uruguayan president Jose Mujica promised his peer Hugo Chavez he would press strongly for Venezuela’s incorporation as full member of Mercosur because this will help balance the group.
President Dilma Rousseff will not be visiting Paraguay until the Brazilian Congress approves the Itaipú reversal notes which establish a greater compensation for surplus power purchased from Paraguay by Latin America’s energy hungry largest economy.
Paraguay has a new Foreign Affaire minister, Jorge Lara Castro who until now was Deputy to Hector Lacognata and who had presented his resignation three weeks ago.