In Uruguay, Lula Defends China-Mercosur Deal

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By Andreia Verdélio

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said it is “possible” to discuss the adoption of a free trade agreement between China and Mercosur, advocated by Uruguay, a member of the South American bloc that also includes Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and associated countries.

The strengthening of Mercosur, in view of advanced negotiations between Uruguay and China for the establishment of an independent trade agreement between the two countries, was discussed on Wednesday (Jan. 25) in Montevideo, Uruguay, where Lula met with the country’s President Luis Lacalle Pou.

For the Brazilian president, first the agreement between Mercosur and the European Union (EU) must be unblocked. Approved in 2019, after 20 years of negotiations, this trade agreement needs to be ratified by the parliaments of all countries in the two blocks to come into force. However, several European countries have suspended its approval, which now requires additional negotiations.

“We are going to intensify the discussions with the European Union, and we are going to sign this agreement so that we can discuss only one possible agreement between China and Mercosur, and I think it is possible,” he said in a statement to the press alongside Lacalle Pou.

Lula also said he agrees with Lacalle Pou’s vision on the “innovation and renewal” of Mercosur. “The pleas of President Lacalle Pou are more than fair. First, because the role of a president is to defend the interests of his country, its economy, and its people. Second, because it is fair to want to produce more and to want to sell more, and for this reason it is important to open up the country as much as possible to the business world,” said Lula, defending that all countries in the region should grow together.

“I am back as president not only to solve the problems of the Brazilian people, I came back because I believe in multilateralism and I want to strengthen Mercosur, Unasur (Union of South American Nations), and Celac (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States), and I want to fight for a new world governance,” the president added.

For Lacalle Pou, Mercosur needs to be modern, flexible, and open to the world. According to him, Uruguay is negotiating with China, but there is no impediment in sharing information with the other countries of the South American bloc. “We will create a technical team between Uruguay and Brazil and other interested countries to evaluate what we want and need in our relationship with China,” the Uruguayan president explained.

Bilateral issues

Infrastructure projects for the integration of Brazil and Uruguay were also a topic of the meeting. One of the pleas of President Lacalle Pou is Brazil’s support for the internationalization of the airport in the city of Rivera, which is on the dry border with Santana do Livramento, in Rio Grande do Sul. Lula said he will promptly discuss the issue with his Minister of Ports and Airports Márcio França.

Uruguay also supports the enlargement of the bridge that links the cities of Jaguarão, on the Brazilian side, and Rio Branco, on the Uruguayan side. The construction of a second bridge was also under discussion with previous Bolsonaro government.

According to Lula, discussions about this work had begun during his first term. “I thought this bridge was already ready and today I learned that its construction hasn’t even begun. I want to assume again this commitment that we are going to build this bridge. It is in the interest of Brazil, Uruguay, and the people of both countries,” Lula added.

Finally, Lacalle Pou spoke about the creation of a waterway in the Mirim and Patos Lagoons. For this, the dredging of the channel on the Brazilian side must be carried out. “The amount [of resources] will not be very high, but it will be important for both nations,” said the Uruguayan president.

Lula also attended the ceremony at Montevideo City Hall, where he received the Más Verde medal, in recognition of his efforts in defense of the environment. Afterwards, he visited former Uruguayan president Pepe Mujica, at his country house on the outskirts of the Uruguayan capital. Afterwards, he returned to Brazil.

ABr

Agência Brasil (ABr) is the national public news agency, run by the Brazilian government. It is a part of the public media corporation Empresa Brasil de Comunicação (EBC), created in 2007 to unite two government media enterprises Radiobrás and TVE (Televisão Educativa).

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