MercoPress, Uruguay

EU/Mercosur meeting postponed for November

26 September 2006

A Mercosur/European Union negotiators meeting scheduled for early October in Brazil has been postponed until November, revealed Brazilian diplomatic sources.

Regis Arslanian, Brazil’s head of International Negotiations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the postponement agreed on request from the EU delegation reveals the financial daily Gazeta Mercantil.

“I told them that as far as I was concerned it was ok. Now it must be consulted with the other Mercosur members to see if they agree on the dates proposal for November”, said Arslanian who added EU officials alleged flight problems.

Arslanian said EU negotiator Karl Falkenberg argued it was difficult to have the whole EU delegation on an only flight next October.

The Brazilian official said that with Venezuela in Mercosur (Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay) it should make negotiations for a free trade area with the EU, “much easier”.

Besides the EU November agenda, Arslanian said that negotiations for a customs union with Austral Africa which includes South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland, recently held in South Africa had “advanced considerably”.