Brazil: European Free Trade Agreement on Track Again

Brazil’s Minister of Foreign Relations, Celso Amorim, reports that Mercosur member-nations have accepted an offer from Portugal to meet with the EU trade commissioner, Pascal Lamy, in Lisbon, on October 20, to continue talks on a free trade agreement.

The announcement was made following a meeting that brought together Amorim and the Foreign Mininsters of Argentina, Rafael Bielsa, Uruguay, Didier Opertti, and Paraguay, Leila Rachid, on Saturday in Rio de Janeiro.

“We will present a short, objective critique of the latest EU proposal,” explained Amorim, adding that although that proposal was considered “unacceptable,” there remained a chance of moving ahead and achieving successful negotiations.


The Minister said work on details for the meeting will get underway this week with special emphasis on what the EU offer failed to do in its last proposal and, at the same time, possible areas where Mercosur can be more flexible should the EU decide to make a better proposal.

The ministers will meet once again next Saturday, October 16, to draw up a final document for the Lisbon meeting.

Agência Brasil
Translator: Allen Bennett

Tags:

You May Also Like

Brazil and Argentina Ready to Create Binational Nuclear Agency

Brazil and Argentina are intent on addressing the creation of a binational nuclear energy ...

Another Normal Day at Brazil Airports: Cancellations, Delays and Chaos

Chaos in Brazilian civil aviation continues this week. From midnight to 10 am today, ...

Brazil Wants New IMF Head from Emerging Country

Celso Amorim, Brazil’s former Foreign minister Celso Amorim says that the next IMF Managing ...

Do You Want Your Own Radio in Brazil? Get Yourself a Godfather First

Community radios have existed in Brazil since the 1980s, long before they became regulated ...

With Surging Nickel and Copper, in Brazil Not All That Glitters Is Iron

The record high profit posted by Brazilian mining company Vale do Rio Doce (CVRD) ...

Voices Rise Against “Gaza Wall” Around Rio Favela, in Brazil

Environmentalists, human rights activists and residents of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, are opposing plans ...

China Starts Direct Flight Beijing/Sí£o Paulo, Brazil

The first direct flight Beijing/São Paulo in Brazil with a call in Madrid took ...

Brazil’s Petrobras Outbids Chevron and Venezuela to Get Exxon in Chile

Multinational oil giant Petrobras, Brazil's state-controlled company, has offered US$ 900 million for Exxon's ...

RAPIDINHAS

There is a sad note about both works reviewed. The artists in them are ...

World’s Largest Cattle Fair, Expozebu, Starts Its 73rd Edition in Brazil

The city of Uberaba, in the interior of the southeastern Brazilian state of Minas ...