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São Paulo – The Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff said, at the opening of the 48th Mercosur Heads of State this Friday (17th), in Brasília, that the South American bloc is moving forward in its ties with other economic blocs. Rousseff handed the presidency of Mercosur over to Paraguay and mentioned the efforts made during her term for agreements with other parts of the world. <\/p>\n
The Brazilian Presidency reported that Rousseff stressed the importance of seeking trade agreements with other regions, and noted that meetings to this end were held with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), Lebanon, Tunisia, Korea, and Japan. “We submitted a proposition to the Pacific Alliance for closer dialogue between our blocs,” she added.<\/p>\n
According to the president, the Mercosur countries also worked on improving the deal the bloc has offered the European Union. “We have agreed with Europe that we should exchange offers in the fourth quarter of this year,” she said. <\/p>\n
“I am certain that the search for new markets will remain the Mercosur’s priority during the pro tempore presidency of Paraguay, which is now taking charge of the bloc,” said Rousseff. She stated that the Mercosur will remain committed to achieving concrete results as swiftly as possible. <\/p>\n
Rousseff said the Mercosur is a tool for overcoming the effects the global crisis has on its countries. According to her, intra-regional trade grew 12-fold since the bloc’s inception, while global trade only grew fivefold. “The crisis has proved persistent. The recovery of advanced economies is still fragile, and the global growth outlook is still uncertain. This is why many of our countries are working on domestic reform,” Rousseff said in her address. <\/p>\n
The Brazilian president asserted that the Mercosur will stay committed to consolidating its customs union, but noted that due to the world’s new economic scenario, Mercosur rules must be kept flexible, and each member state must be given the space required to adopt their own policies that best match the circumstances. <\/p>\n
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum<\/strong><\/p>\n