Argentine Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero, together with the Foreign Ministers of the countries that make up the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR), met this Monday (17.07.2023/XNUMX/XNUMX) with the Executive Vice President and Trade Commissioner of the European Union (EU), Valdis Dombrovskis, to advance the agreement between the blocs.
The working meeting, which was also attended by the Foreign Ministers of Brazil (Mauro Vieira), Uruguay (Francisco Bustillo) and Paraguay (Julio César Arriola), addressed the status of negotiations for a Mercosur-EU Association Agreement and the parties expressed their political support for the process to be concluded shortly, the Argentine Foreign Ministry reported.
The MERCOSUR foreign ministers highlighted "the changes that have occurred at a global level since 2019, when both parties met to define some of the key points of the negotiations" and maintained that "It is important to adapt the future agreement so that it can better respond to the challenges"s" that the world is facing this year.
They also highlighted "the impact of the pandemic on a global level and the effects of the climate emergency, as well as the considerable geopolitical tensions, in addition to the inequality that continues to be a significant threat to the livelihood of millions of people," the statement said.
The MERCOSUR foreign ministers emphasized that an Association Agreement with the EU can point to a new generation of trade negotiations, offering solutions that work for everyone, taking advantage of the complementarities of both regions in a balanced way.
Also, to support "the creation of bi-regional value chains as one of the pillars for increasing trade and investment, generating quality employment, inclusion, access to technology and improving the quality of life in both regions, integrating trade and sustainable development in a way that increases economic opportunities while respecting the environment."
Monday's meeting took place on the sidelines of the Third Summit of Heads of State and Government of the EU and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), a two-day event taking place in Brussels under the motto "Renewing the bi-regional partnership to strengthen peace and sustainable development."
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