After signing, this Saturday (17), a free trade agreement with the 27 member countries of the European Union (EU), The nations that make up Mercosur (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Bolivia, which is concluding its accession process) are already targeting other markets.
“Our work in the integration process [comercial do bloco sul-americano] It’s just beginning,” Paraguayan President Santiago Peña told reporters shortly after the signing ceremony of the Mercosur-EU agreement, held this afternoon in the Paraguayan capital, Asunción.
Host of the event for temporarily presiding over Mercosul, Peña explained that ongoing negotiations with the United Arab Emirates are “advancing” and that Asian markets are considered strategic for the expansion of Mercosur’s network of trading partners.
“We are advancing the free trade agreement with the United Arab Emirates and targeting Japan, South Korea and other Asian countries in addition to China, a strategic partner of all Latin American nations and Mercosur,” commented Peña, also mentioning Indonesia and Vietnam.
“We are also advancing an economic complementation agreement with Canada, so there is no doubt that the Mercosur countries are convinced that economic integration, collaboration and multilateralism is the way forward. [a trilhar]”, added the Paraguayan president.
