Mercosur and Pacific Alliance foreign affairs ministers met this weekend in Colombia for a first round of talks on integration mechanisms and the potential for specific alliances. The idea of the meeting was first launched by Chile with the purpose of a 'convergence' of interests and a possible future integration.
The Pacific Alliance and Mercosur will be holding a two-day ministerial informative meeting in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, beginning this Friday, a first approach to a possible convergence of the two groupings, according to official releases.
Pacific Alliance and Mercosur country members will be holding a meeting in Colombia “to plan the productive future of Latin America with a shared vision” announced Mexico's minister of economy Ildefonso Guajardo.
Heads of state from the Pacific Alliance, comprised of Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru, signed a deal on Monday that will scrap 92% of tariffs on goods and services traded between them. Created in 2012 the Alliance aims to integrate free markets in trade, energy, finance and infrastructure, and bolster ties with Asia, a key trading partner.
The four presidents of the Pacific Alliance are scheduled to sign next Monday the trade group's Additional Protocol which will remove tariffs on 92% of goods and services, effective immediately, announced Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos who will be hosting the summit in Cartagena.