*Paraguay’s Foreign Minister Rubén Ramírez has stated that Paraguay’s government led by President Santiago Peña and Argentina’s government led by President Javier Milei agreed that negotiations for a free trade deal between the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) and European Union (EU) would not advance any further. Speaking to a local television channel Unicanal, Ramírez stated that, “we agree with Argentina that there are no conditions and at least no political will from the EU to move forward in negotiations with Mercosur”, which also comprises Brazil, Uruguay, and Bolivia. Ramírez noted that the European Parliament was holding elections in July and therefore “we do not believe that there will be any progress” on the deal, negotiations regarding which have been dragging on for over two decades. Ramírez was speaking following Peña’s visit to Argentina on 14 February, during which he met with President Milei to discuss “regional integration” and “strategic common projects”.
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LatinNews Daily - 16 February 2024
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