Mercosur, European Union Anticipate Outcomes in Vienna Summit

Mercosur and European Union representatives meeting in Buenos Aires last week agreed to relaunch bilateral negotiations for a cooperation and free trade treaty which has been bogged for months.

Spain´s Foreign Affairs minister Miguel Angel Moratinos currently on a Latin American visit to several countries said that in the meeting “we achieved the political thrust needed for the negotiation to advance, which becomes the most important ingredient when technical experts can´t reach an agreement”.

According to Argentine diplomatic sources ministerial representatives from Mercosur, Spain and Portugal exchanged ideas on the current global situation and analyzed bi-regional relations between Mercosur, Latin America and European Union

Other issues included arrangements leading to the Vienna EU-Latin America summit and negotiations between EU and Mercosur.

As to the coming Vienna summit both sides confirmed the “highest political level participation” next May and the commitment to push for the consolidation of the strategic bi-regional relation, “advancing on pending issues of shared interest”.