Isaura Daniel, special envoy*
Brasilia – The framework agreement between the Mercosur (bloc including Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which will start negotiations for a trade treaty between the two regions, will be signed before the end of the summit for South American and Arab countries, which starts tomorrow in Brasilia, capital of Brazil.
This was confirmed this morning (09) by the Council president, Abdul Rahman Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah, during the opening of the Business Meeting, in the Ulysses Guimarães Conventions Centre. The meeting is taking place parallel to the meeting for the heads of state.
According to the Foreign Relations Minister from Paraguay, Leila Rachid de Cowles, who also participated in the opening ceremony, the document will possibly be signed on Wednesday, last day of the summit.
As well as Leila and Al-Attiyah, participating at the ceremony were the Brazilian minister of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade, Luiz Fernando Furlan, the minister of Industry and Trade from Algeria, El Hachemi Djaaboub, the vice minister of Foreign Relations from Peru and representative the Andean Community, Armando Lecaros, and the president of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (CCAB), Antonio Sarkis Jr.
The ceremony was presented by the secretary general of Foreign Relations of Brazil, Samuel Pinheiro Guimarães.
*Translated by Silvia Lindsey
