Brazil still believes that an agreement between Mercosur and the EU can be closed this year

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brazil, Mauro Vieira, stated this Wednesday that the result of the elections for the European Parliament does not affect the negotiation for an agreement between the Mercosur and the European Union (EU), which could still conclude “this same year”.

Scallop appeared before the Foreign Relations Commission of the Chamber of Deputies and maintained that the advance of conservative forces in the European parliamentary elections “they do not leave the agreement more distant or closer”.

According to the minister, “the conditions remain the same” and the interest of both parties in resuming the negotiation remains, which “was paralyzed or slowed down in the run-up to the elections” European parliamentarians.

Even so, he explained that the contacts continue and that until the end of last year they were “some great difficulties overcome“, so with “good will” on both sides it could be “close the deal” this same year.

“I think we are close and we continue to be close“, he said about those negotiations, which began in 1999 and continue until now, even after reaching an agreement in principle in 2019.

He also stressed that it is “a very delicate issue, especially within the EU“, well in the community block “There are protectionist countries that oppose”, among which he alluded to Francewhose president Emmanuel Macron is one of the most critical leaders of the negotiations.

However, he assured that Macron himself, during a meeting he held with the Brazilian president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, within the framework of the recent G7 summit in Italy, suggested that he could “re-examine” The issue.

According to Vieira, this possible review would be after the elections in Francethat Macron has advanced to the end of this month after its defeat in the elections for the European Parliament.