This Friday (May 02.05.2025, XNUMX), the Foreign Ministers of MERCOSUR met in Buenos Aires to continue discussing the current status of the bloc and the prospects for regional integration. The meeting, which took place at the San Martín Palace, headquarters of the Argentine Foreign Ministry, marked the second time in less than a month that the Foreign Ministers have met to address crucial issues for the future of MERCOSUR.
Following, the relevant issues discussed at the meeting of Foreign Ministers, according to the official statement:
- Strengthening and modernizing MERCOSUR. The Foreign Ministers emphasized that "the holding of two meetings of Foreign Ministers in less than a month, for the first time in 34 years since the signing of the Treaty of Asunción, is a clear demonstration of the commitment of the Member States to the strengthening and unity of MERCOSUR."
- Advances in regional integrationIt was agreed that "the strengthening of the bloc and the deepening of integration must advance through the elimination of restrictions on intra-regional trade, the consolidation of regional value chains, regulatory harmonization among member states, and the improvement of Integrated Control Areas, as well as greater physical and digital integration among member countries."
- Progress on MERCOSUR's external agendaRegarding international negotiations, the statement notes that "the importance of recent progress is underscored, such as the conclusion of the Agreement with the European Union, and the progress of negotiations with EFTA and the United Arab Emirates, with a view to concluding them this semester and signing them in 2025."
- Temporary extension of the National List of Exceptions to the Common External TariffIn relation to this issue, it was agreed to "temporarily expand the National List of Exceptions to the Common External Tariff to 50 tariff codes, as agreed upon at the meeting of April 11."
- Next steps: Extraordinary Meeting of National CoordinatorsThe Foreign Ministers instructed the National Coordinators to meet "to finalize the draft Decision of the Common Market Council, for signature by the permanent representatives to ALADI and MERCOSUR in Montevideo."
- Preparations for the 66th Ordinary Meeting of the CMC and the Summit of Heads of StateThe Foreign Ministers agreed to continue the dialogue for the LXVI Ordinary Meeting of the CMC and the Summit of Heads of State of MERCOSUR, scheduled for 2 & 3 of July from 2025 at the San Martín Palace, Buenos Aires.
The meeting was chaired by Argentine Foreign Minister Gerardo Werthein and included the participation of the Foreign Ministers of Brazil, Mauro Vieira; Bolivia, Celinda Sosa; Paraguay, Rubén Ramírez Lezcano; and Uruguay, Mario Lubetkin.
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