Mercosur accelerates new agreements with countries in Asia, Europe and America

The presidents of the bloc hope to conclude treaties with Canada and EFTA members, which include Switzerland, Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein, by the end of the year. year. also seeks to speed up negotiations with Korea and Singapore

SANTA FE.-
Mercosur, invigorated after

agreement with the European Union

and eager to accelerate integration with other blocks, he left the challenges for the next six months:
close free trade agreements with EFTA – which includes Switzerland, Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein – and Canada.

The regional bloc lives a fundamental moment, articulated according to the definition of several Argentine officials: that is what the agreement with the European Union (EU) represented for the presidents of Argentina, from Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay.

Anxious not to lose the momentum of the treaty with the Europeans, the Mercosur left clearly set out the path taken during the presidency.
pro Brazil's Tempore, which started yesterday.

With EFTA and Canada – which represent a market of 50 million people, with an average GDP per capita of more than US $ 50,000 – both will be closed before the end of the year; Now Mauricio Macri, Jair Bolsonaro, Mario Abdo Benítez and Tabaré Vázquez have set themselves the goal of speeding up trade negotiations with Korea and Singapore.

But they also have in mind the implementation of the Puerto Vallarta action plan, which allowed, a year ago, the discussion between Mercosur and the Pacific Alliance. Yesterday, the links between Macri and Bolsonaro with the President of Chile, Sebastián Piñera, invited to the summit, were permanent.

"We are all working together to find better opportunities for the citizens of this region," said Macri, who, according to LA NACION, has restored the lunch that he shared with his peers. They had a relationship similar to the one they built in recent years.

"I am convinced that the agreement we have reached with the European Union is not an arrival point, but a starting point." It also offers Mercosur the opportunity to do business. opportunity to go further in our ambitious program of external negotiations, "said Mr. Macri.

In this regard, the President stressed that the regional bloc "will deepen the ongoing negotiations to promote new ones, with key players generating global value chains". In this regard, Macri urged his block peers to "continue to progress in convergence with the Pacific Alliance, to build a productive region with coasts located on two oceans and to become one of the poles. fastest growing in the world ".

On the same tone, the Brazilian leader said: "We want to work in world trade without ideological obstacles, the agreement with Europe opens new ways to our countries".

Appreciation

The President received his peers – also participated in Evo Morales (Bolivia) – at the Congress Center of Belgrano Station and, as host, he was the first speaker of the summit.

In this scenario, he thanked them for their presence and stressed that the trade agreement with the EU "is the fruit of a collective work" and the demonstration of the "vocation and the Everyone's commitment at the highest level ". The guests' response had one thing in common: they all highlighted Macri's role in reaching an agreement with the Europeans.

According to Macri, the commitment signed with Europe in Brussels "makes it clear to the world that we want Mercosur to be a dynamic, competitive and open bloc engaged in integration, trade and rules clear game to invest doing business ".

He added: "This will enable us to stimulate trade and investment with the world's largest economic bloc, which is also a leading partner of our countries and, above all, will have a positive impact on the quality of life of our country. country.

In addition to the agreement with the EU, Chancellor Jorge Faurie was responsible for reviewing the achievements of the bloc during the six months of work under the Argentine presidency. The most important has been the elimination of homelessness.

For example, residents of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay will be able to use their mobile phones in one of the other three countries at no additional charge, as happens between EU members.

At present, the implementation of the measure requires the approval of each national convention.

"This will simplify communications for those traveling in the area and those living in border areas, which means greater connectivity and better, a key factor in the digital era," said the head of the 39; State.

The rates

The work of "badysis and revision" of the Common External Tariff (CET) has also started.

"This is a fundamental instrument for the consolidation of the customs union and the fact that Mercosur's tariff policy must promote competitiveness, productivity and the integration of States Parties into the Union." regional and global value chains, "the leaders said in the final document. .

Reaching a common tariff is a priority for Bolsonaro, the new president
pro Mercosur tempore.