By Antonio Tajani - The challenges and opportunities in Latin America are dear to my heart. This is the first time in many years that a European Commissioner for industry heads to the region. And it is not by chance that I strongly wished to go, as this was a priority set in my new mandate.
The Paraguayan Senate approved the Unasur, Union of South American Nations charter and treaty which were signed by the Executive in May 2008. The next step is in the Lower House which will then formalize Paraguay’s full membership of the group.
A top European Commission official is on a round of visits to South American countries to strengthen economic, industrial and tourism ties with the region because Latin America has emerged as “a strategic and dynamic economic player”.
Uruguay sees China as a ‘strategic partner’ and has kept good relations with Beijing since the two countries forged diplomatic ties in 1988, said Uruguayan Foreign Affairs minister Luis Almagro, a former ambassador to China from 2007-2009. Almagro made the statement as Chinese Vice-President Xi Jinping begun his official visit to Uruguay.
Peruvian president-elect nationalist Ollanta Humala promised Monday a ‘national concerted government” with representation of all democratic forces and open to the civil community.
Argentina’s second- biggest soybean producer Los Grobo, plans to transfer some assets to a new company and sell shares of the business in an initial public offering in Brazil.
The Brazilian congress passed the rules for the election by political parties of Mercosur parliament representatives, which beginning 2014 are to be chosen by popular vote.
Uruguay and Brazil pledged Monday to continue strengthening the bilateral relation and regional integration through Mercosur and Unasur, after presidents Jose Mujica and Dilma Rousseff delegations signed fifteen cooperation agreements in Montevideo.
Argentine Industry Minister, Debora Giorgi, and her Brazilian counterpart Fernando Pimentel will meet this Thursday in Brasilia in order to discuss a possible solution for the trade conflict currently affecting Brazil and Argentina
President Dilma Rousseff’s Monday visit to Uruguay will try to ease growing concerns in South America’s smallest country political and economic circles about “Brazil-dependency” and obstacles to bilateral trade, according to reports in the Sao Paulo media previous to her departure.