Paraguayan President Santiago Peña admitted that the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) was not going through the best of times as he prepared to host the bloc's Summit in Asunción Monday during which he is to hand over the grou's rotating presidency to Uruguay's Luis Lacalle Pou.
Instead of attending Monday's Mercosur Summit in Asunción, Argentine President Javier Milei chose to spend the weekend in southern Brazil with his friends the Bolsonaros, including the former head of state Jair, with whom he watched their national team eliminated from the Copa America by Uruguay on penalties on Saturday.
Argentine President Javier Milei will not be traveling to Asunción for the upcoming Mercosur Summit in the Paraguayan capital on July 8 in a move to avoid meeting face-to-face with his Brazilian colleague Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, whom he dubbed a corrupt Communist during his campaign last year and who insists an apology is in order. Last week the Argentine leader claimed there was nothing to be sorry for and that he would not go back on telling the truth. Foreign Minister Diana Mondino will represent Milei at the regional bloc's gathering.
Argentina's Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero Monday stressed that the trade agreement between Mercosur and the European Union (EU) is hindered by what he called the “asymmetries” between the two blocs.
Uruguayan Foreign Minister Francisco Bustillo Monday told his Mercosur colleagues in Puerto Iguazú that “from the first day we warned that Mercosur had been won over by immobility” and insisted no progress regarding deals with other countries or blocs had been achieved during Argentina's pro tempore presidency of the alliance ending Tuesday.
Presidents of all four Mercosur members (Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, and Paraguay) will convene Monday in Puerto Iguazu in the Argentine northeastern province of Misiones for the 62nd bloc summit, also attended by dignitaries of the bloc's associate members.
The Argentine city of Puerto Iguazú in the province of Misiones will host the LXII Mercosur Summit on July 3 and 4, during which Alberto Fernández will pass on the pro tempore presidency of the bloc to his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inácio Lula Da Silva, it was announced Friday in Buenos Aires.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenski was told to change his plans after seeking to make a virtual appearance during Thursday's Mercosur Summit in Asunción.
Although Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro is not attending the Mercosur summit in Paraguay, his administration continues with its policy of unilaterally reducing the common external tariff. In this case Brazil's Foreign Trade Chamber Executive Committee approved the reduction of import tariffs on thirteen items, including medicines, medical equipment, printing ink and polypropylene resin. Tariffs were cut to zero or reduced to 2%, from 2% and 6,5%.
Mercosur Foreign Ministers Monday agreed to hold the upcoming Summit of the Group in Asunción on July 21. It will be the first face-to-face encounter of all four regional leaders since all previous meetings involving all four current leaders were all held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.