Argentina pretends that the Mercosur-EU Agreement close this year and views the delay in the negotiations negatively, considering that if it is not finalized in the coming months it will be “a waste of time”, as pointed out by the foreign minister of the neighboring country, Diana Mondino.
At a time when the opening of the block towards Japan and the EFTA, Mondino also opened the doors to China considering that “each country has an interest in progressing as quickly as possible with some group of countries” and maintained that “it would be good for all of us” to trade with the Asian giant.
The Argentine foreign minister expressed herself during an official visit to the Brazilian city of Saint Paul, where he focused on the delays with the European Union. “If it is something that is beneficial and we delay it… I see no reason to delay it,” he warned EFE.
Negotiations between blocs have been going on for 25 years and today they encounter the greatest obstacles in France, with demands from farmers for the region to respect environmental and phytosanitary demands, something rejected by Brazil.
Mondino assured that “the deforestation It is very easy to see through satellites to check if it is the only place in the world where it occurs or there are other places” and stated: “If someone does not comply, they have to have their restriction, punishment, fine or whatever corresponds, but it is not can involve everyone else in the same situation.
Although he admitted that the agreement is “in the same state as it was in December,” despite progress in details, he insisted: “I think the convenience for both blocks is notable.”
“Obviously everything has costs, if not how easy life would be, but really in the Mercosur We continue to trust that the European Union will work together because it is convenient for the European Union, because it would greatly reduce its production costs,” he warned about the potential that the region offers.
Argentina, in favor of the negotiations between Mercosur and China
After the change of government, the position of Argentina on several issues and one of them seems to be the possibility of Mercosur signing an FTA with China. The thing is, after the president Luis Lacalle Pou assured that the neighboring country and Brazil “blocked the agreement”, now the chancellor was in favor.
“Each country has an interest in moving forward as quickly as possible with some group of countries. I think that with China It would be good for all of us,” said Mondino and added: “In Argentina, we are more in favor of yes, of doing it. “I wouldn’t say as soon as possible, because we have other priorities.”
The leader clarified that this type of negotiations implies that the Mercosur countries grant benefits to the counterpart and compared that “Uruguay It is a small economy and it would not have to give much, but in the case of Brazil it would be a lot”, alluding to the strong trade surplus with the Asian power.
“Therefore, I think they are going to want to go with a little more pause to see what the real advantages are,” concluded the chancellor.
Source: Ambito
