São Paulo – Negotiations between the United Arab Emirates and Mercosur for a free trade agreement are ongoing, according to information from Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs provided to ANBA. At the bloc’s foreign ministers’ meeting held in Montevideo, Uruguay, last Monday (2), the negotiation with the Arab country was discussed “within the broader context of Mercosur’s extra-regional agenda,” according to the ministry.
“From the Brazilian perspective, the negotiations with the UAE, which have been ongoing regularly since they were launched in April, have progressed satisfactorily among negotiators from both sides,” the ministry reported. Last July, Mercosur countries and the UAE had agreed on the terms of reference for the agreement during a meeting prior to the Mercosur Summit in Asunción, Paraguay.
At the time, the Brazilian government reported that the first round of discussions had taken place, addressing the content that may become the agreement. It was also agreed that the treaty will include, among other topics, goods, services, rules of origin, technical barriers, phytosanitary and sanitary measures, as well as intellectual property. There is an expectation that it will be signed at the end of the year during the G20 meeting in Rio.
Mercosur’s foreign ministries
Regarding the meeting of foreign ministers, the ministry announced on its Bluesky account that the Uruguayan pro tempore presidency presented its priorities for the semester, including proposals to strengthen the bloc as an effective platform for international engagement. Discussions covered actions to promote sustainable trade and Mercosur’s negotiations with extra-regional partners. The ministry noted that it was the first ministerial meeting of the bloc with Bolivia as a new member state. Brazil’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Mauro Vieira participated.
Read more:
Mercosur-UAE agreement set to conclude in November
Translated by Guilherme Miranda
