The Paraguayan president, Mario Abdo Benítez, received the rotating presidency of Mercosur this Friday from the hands of the Brazilian leader, Jair Bolsonaro, and promised to “continue working” to “strengthen the values” of the bloc.
After a brief speech, Abdo Benítez also declared the telematic summit closed and in which the rulers of Argentina, Alberto Fernández, also intervened; from Uruguay, Luis Lacalle Pou, and Bolsonaro, whose government coordinated the meeting and thus concluded his biannual presidency of the bloc.
Abdo Benítez guaranteed that, during the next six months, his Government will strive to reduce bureaucratic obstacles in the bloc, to “open the region’s strength to the world” and to “continue to strengthen the values that unite us”, among those who cited “democracy” and “freedom.”
The biannual summit concluded without agreements regarding the much-proclaimed 10% reduction in the Common External Tariff, which was almost agreed upon but was conditioned by Uruguay on Mercosur modifying the clause that prevents its members from negotiating trade agreements with other countries or blocs. individually.
In a bloc in which all decisions are made by consensus, this reduction was postponed by Uruguay’s position, which demands greater freedom to advance individual trade agreements, as it is already doing in fact with China.
In this sense, Abdo Benítez promised to give priority to the negotiations on the external tariff and stated that “the best way to defend interests is to work in a joint and coordinated manner.”
He also stressed that, during Paraguay’s pro tempore presidency, a “dynamic” and “proactive” agenda will be developed, which will include this process of tariff review.
“We have reached an important rapprochement of positions in recent months,” added the Paraguayan president, referring to these negotiations, now being hampered by Uruguay.
Source: EFE
