Mercosur Summit in Asunción bestows full member status to Bolivia

The 64th Mercosur summit took place on Monday (8) in Asunción, Paraguay. One of the event’s highlights was Bolivia’s admission as the bloc’s sixth full member, as well as the transition of the group’s temporary presidency from Paraguay to Uruguay.

Foreign Affairs Ministers

On Sunday (7), after a meeting between Mercosur chancellors, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mauro Vieira, stated that “democracy won” when commenting on the failed coup attempt in Bolivia. In La Paz, Lula is expected to reinforce this message.

Another notable aspect of this Mercosur summit was the absence of Argentine President Javier Milei, who decided not to attend the event. According to Brazil’s Foreign Affairs Ministry, this marks the first time a head of state has missed the bloc’s summit.

During Paraguay’s presidency, significant events included the signing of an agreement with Singapore, breaking a decade-long hiatus in efforts to expand the bloc’s market access to new regions.

Despite Milei’s absence, Argentina’s Chancellor, Diana Mondino, reaffirmed her country’s commitment to Mercosur, emphasizing its role as the primary destination for Argentina’s foreign sales and a critical step in the internationalization of Argentine companies.

Uruguay’s Chancellor, Omar Paganini, congratulated Paraguay on initiating negotiations for Mercosur agreements with the United Arab Emirates and indicated the focus of Uruguay’s pro-Tempore presidency.

“We recognize that we are far from a free trade zone, not necessarily in terms of tariff elimination, but in addressing administrative, financial, exchange rate, and other measures,” said Paganini.

Source: Agência Brasil

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