Presidents of Mercosur meet to speed up the start of the agreement with the European Union

With axis in the streamline of the trade agreement with the European Union since midday the presidents of the countries that make up the Mercosur and the Associated States, in a new edition of the Summit of Heads of State.

The meeting takes place at the Santa Fe City Convention Center. Among the activities is the temporary Presidency of Mercosur on behalf of Mauricio Macri to his Brazilian pair Jair Bolsonaro.

The leaders of Uruguay also participate in the meeting, Tabaré Vázquez; Paraguay, Mario Abdo Benítez. Besides the leaders of Chile, Sebastián Piñera and Bolivia, Evo Morales, and representatives of Peru, Colombia, Guyana and Suriname. This group of countries are badociated states, have concluded free trade agreements with the bloc but do not integrate it.

The agenda began at 10 am with a meeting of the Ministers of Economy, Production and Central Bank of the region. An hour later, the last plenary meeting of Foreign Ministers took place and from noon the leaders' summit.

Macri heads the plenary session of the regional bloc summit from noon and at 2:10 pm, an official lunch between the presidents. At 3:20 pm, we will sign a joint statement with Piñera on energy integration.

The axes of the meeting are the agreement with the European Union, the modernization of Mercosur institutions and the ongoing negotiations to conclude another trade agreement with Canada and the EFTA (in line with European countries not integrating the EU).

They also badyze the situation in Venezuela because of the political, economic and humanitarian crisis in which the Caribbean country is plunged under the Chavez regime. Nicolás Maduro.

In his previous speech, Chancellor Jorge Faurie explained that at the summit, the different countries will work to get the parliament's approval of the agreement with the EU and its subsequent entry into force. The Foreign Minister, who participated in negotiations with his Mercosur counterparts in the framework of the Common Market Council, said the EU free trade agreement was "a turning point for the European Union." 39, internal and external agenda "of the bloc. regional

The final document to be signed by the presidents will aim to advance the elimination of international roaming charges imposed on users of the regional block, in order to increase the communications between the different countries of the bloc.

They will also approve the measures taken by the working group to badyze the coherence and dispersion of the Common External Tariff (CET) with a view to rethinking levels of customs protection and strengthen exports of local industries.

In addition, the guidelines for the Border Health Work Plan for Mercosur will be approved. They will guide public health actions and interventions in border areas and in their relations with badociated states.

To the extent that they will launch the "Regional Plan for the Eradication and Prevention of Forced Labor and Trafficking for the Purpose of Labor Exploitation", and the "Regional Plan of Labor Inspection" Mercosur ", which encourages joint labor inspections in border areas.