Brazilian and Uruguayan Foreign Ministers Antonio Patriota and Luis Almagro have agreed to hold bilateral meetings every three months they announced during a press conference in Uruguay. The ministers met to discuss the forthcoming meeting between Uruguayan President Jose Mujica and his Brazilian counterpart Dilma Rousseff, scheduled for the first week of February.
President Jose Mujica is an “emblematic” figure at regional level and is one of the great assets of Uruguay’s foreign policy, said Foreign Affairs minister Luis Almagro on making a review of the first ten months of the administration.
Unasur has been a fundamental factor of stability, democracy and peace for the region said Uruguay’s Foreign Affairs minister Luis Almagro, following on Uruguay’s Parliament’s ratification of the group’s founding charter and constitution. However Almagro admitted consensus on a name for Secretary General of Unasur is still pending.
Uruguay and Argentina announced they had reached a final “scientific” agreement for the joint environmental monitoring of the UPM-Botnia pulp mill in shared waters and which delaying the implementation of a bilateral agreement.
Mercosur reached a political agreement to review the composition and election of the group’s Parliament, Parlasur. Under the new system to be implemented in several years the number of seats will be increased based on proportional representation and members of Parlasur will be chosen by direct universal vote.
Mercosur is currently a “Foreign Affairs ministries club” which has failed in getting people involved in the integration idea and process, said Uruguayan Foreign Secretary Luis Almagro during a press conference Monday at Government House.
Argentine Foreign Affairs Minister Héctor Timerman informed via Twitter that he will fly to Montevideo next Monday to meet his Uruguayan counterpart, Luis Almagro in the framework of the recent agreement regarding the dispute over the UPM/Botnia pulp-mill.
Mercosur Foreign Affairs ministers meeting on Monday in Argentina said they trust the European Union will match the latest offer from the South American block to make possible a trade and cooperation agreement that has remained elusive for years.
Discussions for the joint monitoring of the River Uruguay with Argentina are “not blocked” and “we have a very strong commitment with the on-going negotiations” said Uruguayan Foreign Affairs minister Luis Almagro following Monday morning’s ministerial cabinet meeting headed by President Jose Mujica.
Uruguay and Argentina agreed Wednesday on a 48 hours “reflection period” before retaking formal negotiations for the joint monitoring of the River Uruguay, which is at the heart of the pulp mills dispute, and alleged contamination, between the neighbouring countries.