Today, Argentine Foreign Minister Susana Malcorra held a press conference with Bernd Lange, Chairman of the Committee on International Trade, and Francisco Assis, Chair of the Delegation for relations with MERCOSUR. Referring to the two MPs, Malcorra said: "they preside over two important committees of the European Parliament, so they have an essential role in our relation with the European Union. This is coherent with our vision that the strategic relation with the EU must be developed at all levels and in all bodies of the EU."
Malcorra received a delegation of 14 Members of the European Parliament. In relation to this meeting, she said: "we had a fruitful conversation. They have a packed two-day agenda that includes meetings with members of the Argentine Executive and Congress and business representatives to hold a broad dialogue with the participation of all sectors interested in working more closely and strengthening the strategic relation of the EU with Argentina and MERCOSUR".
"A first meeting was held in Brussels three weeks ago after the exchange of offers. These are complex negotiations that require the involvement of many participants from both parties. The parties considered all the procedures and the creation of committees. They did not discuss the proposals as such but rather the necessary steps to move forward. The proposals will be discussed at a meeting to be held in Buenos Aires in March. In the meantime, there will be technical meetings to make progress on this issue so that the meeting scheduled for March will be fruitful and carefully planned in advance," explained the Foreign Minister.
"The offers are only preliminary proposals. There was a political decision to submit them in order not to continue delaying the issue. With regard to Argentina and MERCOSUR, I have spoken to my MERCOSUR counterparts at the recent Ibero-American Summit and we are all looking forward to making progress on the relation with the EU as the complex economic situation pushes us not only to be more creative but also to urgently find solutions," she added.
The Argentine Foreign Minister also highlighted that "it is not possible to conceive an agreement in our time without the participation of the business sector, the civil society, trade unions in the case of Argentina and the agricultural sector in the case of Europe. This adds complexity to the negotiation because, while it is true that a larger number of participants means a more consolidated end result, it is also true that the process becomes more complex. Until now, participation levels have not been sufficient. We must seek to engage all sectors and move forward."
Close to the end of the meeting, Malcorra said: "The agricultural sector is more complex in Europe. We must arrive at the understanding that this is a strategic agreement for Europe and the European people as well as for MERCOSUR and the people of the countries of the bloc. We must all share the conviction that an agreement of these characteristics will provide more opportunities for both parties."
For his part, Assis said: "The Members of the European Parliament all share a common concern, namely strengthening political, cultural and economic ties with MERCOSUR countries, particularly with Argentina. We are fully aware of the challenges posed by globalization and we must face them with strong policies. In this regard, the relation between Europe and MERCOSUR can set an example. We cannot depend exclusively on any specific sector. There are many legitimate claims, but negotiations are being conducted with transparency."
Lange pointed out that this visit is an opportunity to strengthen the bilateral relation after a lengthy standstill. He also recognized the important changes that are taking place in Argentina and highlighted the important role that the country will have as host of the WTO Ministerial Conference in December 2017 and holder of the G20 Chair in 2018.
This is the third visit of Members of the European Parliament to Argentina after the visit of representatives of the Committee on Foreign Affairs in March and the President of the Parliament, Martin Schulz, in August, which reflects the interest of this European institution in strengthening relations with Argentina.
Press Release No. 373/16
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