"When Venezuela's domestic legal rules, laws and regulations are adopted so as to place it on an equal footing with the other Mercosur member countries, it will regain its full rights as a Member State. For the time being, the situation is what it is," stated Argentine Foreign Minister Malcorra at a press conference with her Brazilian counterpart, José Serra, after a bilateral meeting held in Brasilia.
On her first official visit to Brazil, Malcorra met with President Michel Temer and explained that Venezuela's situation is not a suspension but a "cessation of its participation in Mercosur." She added that "one cannot be a member of a club with all access rights and at the same time fail to comply with one's obligations. Our expectation is that Venezuela will make progress on the commitments undertaken as soon as possible."
Malcorra confirmed that the Foreign Ministers of the four founding States of Mercosur will meet next Wednesday at the Palacio San Martin to begin discussing the action plan for the first half of 2017. "The beginning of Trump's administration may interrupt negotiations between the United States and the European Union, so we want to seize the opportunity to advance the agenda of Mercosur as quickly as possible," she held.
Malcorra stated that she and her Brazilian counterpart "fully agreed to bet on a Mercosur that is more open to the world."
Press Release No. 437/16
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