Foreign Minister Lacalle Pou said the 2019 Mercosur-EU deal was signed due to Macri’s “electoral rush”.



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As part of a request from the Uruguayan opposition to learn about the evolution of the Mercosur and European Union agreement signed last year, Francisco Bustillo, Luis Lacalle Pou’s foreign minister, launched a missile on the government of former President Mauricio Macri.

“We all know that there was a political need in this matter on the part of Argentina because the elections were approaching and there was a need to show success in terms of foreign policy.. Esa es la realidad a la que nos enfrentamos y que descubrimos a poco de asumir la cartera ”, manifestó el ministro Francisco Bustillo ante the Comisión de Relaciones Exteriores de la Cámara de Diputados, in which compareció durante siete horas y cuya transcripción exacta conoció this Monday. Lawmakers wanted to know why, if the deal was signed in June 2019, it continues to be delayed.

“One of the things that we quickly discovered, shortly after taking over the portfolio, was that while some players spoke about the need to ratify the Mercosur deal – we will all have heard it – others have spoken of the signing of the agreement, and the truth is that we have found out that the agreement is not complete “said Bustillo, who, although he admitted once again at that time that he was a friend of Alberto Fernández, once again ensured that this relationship is not upset neither in his gestures nor in those of the Eastern government. This maintains important political and economic differences with that of Alberto F.

“My friendship with Alberto is excellent. The whole world knows it. But Alberto Fernández defends the interests of Argentina and I those of Uruguay. This friendship that we have helps to maintain a dialogue that others do not have. But he won’t give in either because he has friendships with me or with me, ”he said in an interview published byr The country, of Montevideo, this Tuesday.

In this report, “Pancho” Bustillo reported that the government of Lacalle Pou he hopes to raise the issue of “flexibilization” of Mercosur at the next presidents’ summit, on March 26. It will be in Buenos Aires.

Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay have been asking for years that the bloc can sign agreements with third countries outside it and lower the common external tariff (CET) of this customs union. There is a decision, 32/00, that prevents it. It should be canceled, reworded or accepted to ignore it.

Argentina is reluctant to open up, as is its industry. Also to the signing of agreements with Canada, South Korea, Lebanon and Singapore which had spoken about it. But also there is an open negotiating table at which it was agreed to speak about the ACS.

On June 28, 2019, four months before the elections, the four founding members of Mercosur signed an agreement with the EU. Macri, who has been negotiating it with his peers since 2015, and celebrated it as a big win. But since then there have been marches and risers that show that for this to come into effect there is still a long way to go. There are still differences in terms of ethanol, on the indications of origin and now the Europeans have become very strict with the environmental issue in front of the management of Jair Bolsonaro.

“Although this” principle of agreement “was signed a year and a half ago,” the truth is that there is no agreement “, because” there are four or five fundamental questions to be answered. , in which progress has not been possible in all of this, ”said Bustillo and defended his country’s leadership in the bloc’s pro tempore presidency in the second half of 2020, in the second half of 2020. The minister said that the Europe demanded “a lot more” from Mercosur than any other and set the example for Europe agreement with Canada Mercosur turns 30 in March and has only one free trade agreement with Israel in place.

This Tuesday the Secretary of State for Foreign Trade of France, Franck Riester, he reiterated his vetoes on the EU-Mercosur trade deal and warned that “it will take time” until all of his objections can be raised because “there is a lot of work to be done”. With reference to the assertion they argue with Brazil and in particular because of the deforestation of the Amazon, and the achievement of the objectives of the Paris agreements on climate change, among others, he underlined: “Political declarations are not enough for us”, but France wants “quantified guarantees”, “credible” and “binding”.

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