Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira, who accompanied the President of that country, Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva, on his visit to Spain, said at a press conference together with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, that he expects the incorporation of Bolivia and the re-entry of Venezuela to Mercosur.
In this sense, Vieira said that the block is finalizing the entry of Bolivia and has said that he hopes that Venezuela can return in the next twelve months at most, after being suspended in 2017.
The statements by the Brazilian diplomat occurred in the middle of a meeting in which Mercosur’s rapprochement with the European Union was discussed, which is expected to take place in the coming months.
The cooperation agreement between the two trading blocs is the result of negotiations of more than 20 years, which culminated in 2019. However, it has not yet been approved by the parties involved.
“The time has come when we all have to make a decision of political will for the agreement to enter into force,” Vieira told the media present at the press conference.
However, the Brazilian minister acknowledged that even if the agreement is concluded this year, its entry into force will not be immediate, because it will have to be approved by the parliaments of the different countries.
Regarding the incorporation of Bolivia and the return of Venezuela to Mercosur, the Brazilian government believes that the South American integration mechanism can be given an energetic muscle, thanks to Bolivian gas and Venezuelan oil.
