Mercosur summit discusses European Union agreement
The presidents of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay meet today (Jul. 4) in Puerto Iguazú, Argentina, for the 62nd Mercosur and Associated Countries Summit. The event marks the transfer of the pro tempore presidency of the bloc from Argentina to Brazil for the next six months.
The primary agenda item is the European Union's recent demand for compliance with the Paris Agreement on climate change as a condition for ratifying the Mercosur-EU agreement.
Although negotiations for the agreement commenced over two decades ago and were announced for general conclusion in 2019, there are still considerable steps to be taken before it can be enforced. Each of the 31 member countries must individually ratify and internalize the treaty through their respective parliaments.
During a press conference in Brasilia last week, Ambassador Maurício Carvalho Lyrio, the Secretary of Economic and Financial Affairs at the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, explained that the Brazilian government is finalizing its evaluation of the agreement's provisions to present to its Mercosur partners and subsequently to the European economic group.
In addition to the agreement with the EU, Presidents Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (Brazil), Alberto Fernández (Argentina), Luís Lacalle Pou (Uruguay), and Mario Abdo Benítez (Paraguay) will discuss the possibility of a treaty with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), comprising Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, and Liechtenstein, which are non-members of the main European bloc. Furthermore, an agreement with Singapore is also on the summit's agenda.
Accessions
The summit provides a crucial opportunity to reestablish diplomatic relations and partnerships with neighboring countries, which the Brazilian government considers a foreign policy priority. Brazil, holding the temporary presidency of Mercosur until year-end, plans to organize the social forum, business forum, and the next bloc summit in a city yet to be determined, as stated by the ministry.
Ambassador Gisela Maria Padovan, Secretary for Latin America and the Caribbean at the Brazilian Foreign Ministry, emphasized Mercosur's ongoing dialogues with the Dominican Republic and El Salvador. The bloc is also approaching Chile and Colombia and Bolivia is currently in the process of joining it.
"This summit is particularly relevant for us because, first of all, Brazil assumes the pro tempore presidency in a context of reasserting the priority of integration. It is not a routine presidency, but a priority granted by the government to integration processes, starting with the return to the CELAC [Community of Latin American and Caribbean States], the South American summit, and now Mercosur, which is fundamental for the development of our countries," stated Ambassador Gisela Maria Padovan.
