Alckmin meets EU representative and resumes agreement with Mercosur

The vice president Geraldo Alckmin (PSB) met this Monday (15 January 2024) with the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, during an official trip to Guatemala.

According to Alckmin, they resumed talks about the agreement between Mercosur and the European Union, which had been blocked since the end of 2023 after a series of disagreements and barriers to finalizing the text.

“We discussed the progress of negotiations for a balanced Mercosur – European Union Agreement that would bring more trade and prosperity to our people. Borrell also expressed support and interest in the agenda of the Brazilian presidency of the G20 and highlighted the need to reconnect our regions.,” Alckmin said in a social media post.

In December, after the 1st year of the 3rd term of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) moving towards the implementation of the trade treaty between the blocs, French President Emmanuel Macron said he was against the agreement during COP28.

He argued that the proposal was “old-fashioned” and which would not comply with European environmental parameters. Lula countered by saying that France was using the argument to protect the domestic market from competition with Brazilian agricultural products.

In the days following the speech, an EU special envoy canceled his planned visit to Brazil in December. Since then, the spirits surrounding the agreement – ​​which had already been in negotiations for 20 years – were shaken and dismantled the Lula government's main focus on foreign policy.

Alckmin was in Guatemala to attend President Bernardo Arévalo's inauguration. During the visit, he also met with the Mexican Foreign Minister, Alícia Bárcena Ibarra, and participated in a meeting between several representatives from Latin America, Europe and the Secretary General of the OAS (Organization of American States), Luis Almagro.