Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, founding members of MERCOSUR, made important progress in the Third Round of Negotiations with the United Arab Emirates, which culminated on Friday, November 1, 2024. During these meetings, solid foundations were laid for the signing of a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).
The Paraguayan Foreign Ministry, host of the negotiations in Asunción, reported that the meetings, which began on October 28, were attended by more than 50 expert negotiators from the delegations of the four South American countries and the United Arab Emirates. Intense work sessions were held in several areas, including Market Access for Goods, Rules of Origin, Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, Technical Barriers to Trade, Services and Legal Matters.
The chief negotiators agreed that the outlook is favorable for the possible signing of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership AgreementThey also agreed to hold working sessions to address outstanding issues and move towards concluding negotiations.
The Paraguayan delegation, which coordinated this process, was led by Patricia Frutos Ruíz, chief negotiator and Vice Minister of Economic Relations and Integration. She was accompanied by the Director General of Economic Policy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Alberto Caballero, and representatives of various institutions.
The delegations of the other MERCOSUR countries are headed by Counselor Verónica López Gilli of Argentina, Ambassador Philip Fox Drummond Gough of Brazil, and Ambassador Alejandro Mernies together with Minister Counselor Paola Repetto representing Uruguay. For its part, the delegation of the United Arab Emirates is led by its chief negotiator, Juma Al Kait, Deputy Undersecretary for International Trade at the Ministry of Economy.
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