11/26/2023 – 19:44
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mauro Vieira, assessed, in a press conference this Sunday (26), as “productive” the meeting with the Argentine deputy-elect Diana Mondino, chancellor appointed by the president-elect Javier Milei. Vieira highlighted that, despite possible statements critical of Mercosur, what counts are formal demonstrations and that there is a desire on the part of both countries to move the bloc forward.
“We talked, for example, about the possibility of bioceanic corridors, we talked about Mercosur’s external negotiations, we also talked about the expansion and deepening of Mercosur’s decisions, a topic on which we coincide, because we want a bigger and better Mercosur to benefit regional integration ”, declared the minister.
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The presidency of the Brazilian government in Mercosur runs until December 7th, three days before Javier Milei takes office. The new president already defended Argentina’s exit from the economic bloc during the campaign, but retreated from the idea and started defending only changes. Mercosur also brings together Uruguay and Paraguay.
One of the agreements being negotiated by the Brazilian presidency is with the European Union. Approved in 2019, after 20 years of negotiations, the Mercosur-EU agreement needs to be ratified by the parliaments of all countries in both blocs to come into force. The negotiation involves 31 countries.
“I indicated to her in which areas, during this Brazilian presidency of Mercosur, which is now ending, and with which other countries and other regions we are negotiating. She expressed her pleasure in knowing. For me, that’s what matters. We will work together with this government until the end of the mandate and then with the new government, knowing that there is this desire to advance in Mercosur”, she declared.
Possession
During the meeting, Vieira received the invitation for President Lula to participate in the Argentine inauguration on December 10th. “There is no type of problem, embarrassment, of any nature whatsoever. Governments organize guest lists, send them and those who want to accept, those who don’t want to don’t accept, but there is also different treatment for heads of state and direct guests”, he said as Javier Milei and the former president approached Jair Bolsonaro.
The minister also said that he did not have the opportunity to pass on the invitation to President Lula and that his presence at the inauguration is being evaluated. “What was said during the campaign is one thing, what happens during the government is another. I don’t know what it will be, as I said, whether the president will be able to go or not. He will be arriving from a long visit abroad and will have the Mercosur summit in Brazil”, he explained.
Vieira reinforced the long and strong ties of diplomatic relations between the two countries, which transcended governments. “What I can say is that there is a very strong, very important relationship between Brazil and Argentina, which was even created based on the understandings in the 80s between the president [José] Sarney and the president [Raúl] Alfonsín, who built the entire basis of this great cooperation.”
Among the sectors of cooperation, he highlighted nuclear energy, science and technology, information technology, trade, industry and investments. “All of this exists and is very important. President Lula has said that the important thing is the national interest and the national project”, he reinforced.
BRICS
About the entrance Argentina in the BRICS, a bloc that brings together developing nations, such as Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, the minister pointed out that it is in Brazil’s interest for the country to join, but that it is up to the new government to evaluate. “The Argentine government, at the time, was a candidate and Brazil supported it, because it is an initiative of interest to Brazil. It is also a question of balance of geographic representation in the BRICS and, obviously, Argentina being an important partner of Brazil.”
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