Natasha Niebieskikwiat
03/02/2021 15:02
Clarín.com
Politics
Updated 03/02/2021 15:02
In the context of a request from the Uruguayan opposition to learn about the evolution of the Mercosur and European Union agreement signed last year, Francisco Bustillo, Luis Lacalle Pou's foreign minister, launched a missile on the government of former President Mauricio Macri.
“We all know that there was a political need in this case on the part of Argentina because the elections were coming and it was necessary to show an achievement in terms of foreign policy
.
That is the reality that we are facing and that we discovered shortly after assuming the portfolio, ”said Minister Francisco Bustillo before the Foreign Relations Commission of the Chamber of Deputies, in which he appeared for seven hours and whose exact transcription was known this Monday.
Lawmakers wanted to know why, if the agreement was signed in June 2019, it continues to be delayed.
“One of the things that we quickly discovered, shortly after assuming the portfolio, was that while some actors spoke of the need to ratify the Mercosur agreement - we will all have heard it -
others spoke of the signing of the agreement, and the truth is is that we discovered that the agreement is not completed, "said
Bustillo, who, although he recognized once again at this time that he is a friend of Alberto Fernández, assured once again that this relationship is not overturned neither in his gestures nor in those of the Government This one maintains important political and economic differences with that of Alberto F.
"My friendship with Alberto is excellent. The whole world knows that.
But Alberto Fernández defends the interests of Argentina and I defend the interests of Uruguay. That friendship that we have helps to maintain a dialogue that others do not have. the reason why he has friendship with me and I, "he said in an interview published by
r
El País,
from Montevideo, this Tuesday.
In that report, "Pancho" Bustillo reported that the Lacalle Pou government
hoped to raise the question of the "flexibilization" of Mercosur at the next summit of presidents, on March 26.
This will be in Buenos Aires.
Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay have been demanding for years that the bloc can sign agreements with third countries outside of it and also lower the common external tariff (CET) of this customs union.
There is a decision, 32/00, that prevents it.
It would have to be canceled, re-formulated or agreed to skip it.
Argentina is reluctant to this opening, as is its business sector.
Also to the signing of agreements with Canada, South Korea, Lebanon and Singapore that had been talking.
But
there is
also
an open negotiating table at which it was accepted to speak of the AEC.
On June 28, 2019, four months before the elections, the four founding members of Mercosur signed an agreement with the EU.
Macri, who had been negotiating it with his peers since 2015, and celebrated it as a great victory.
But since then there have been marches and countermarches that show that for this to come into effect, there is a lot of ground left to go.
There are still differences in the matter of ethanol, on indications of origin and now the Europeans became very strict with the environmental issue before the management of Jair Bolsonaro.
"Although this' principle of agreement" was signed a year and a half ago, "the truth is that there is no agreement", because "there are four or five fundamental issues to close, in which progress has not been possible in all this time ”Said Bustillo and defended his country's management during the pro tempore presidency of the bloc, in the second half of 2020, in the face of the requirements. The minister said that Europe demanded" much more "from Mercosur than from others and gave the example the European agreement with Canada Mercosur turns 30 this March and has only one free trade agreement with Israel in place.
This Tuesday the French Secretary of State for Foreign Trade,
Franck Riester,
reiterated his vetoes of the EU-Mercosur trade agreement and warned that "it will take time" until all their objections can be raised because "there is a lot of work to be done."
In reference to the claim that they maintain with Brazil and especially for the deforestation of the Amazon, and the fulfillment of the objectives of the Paris Agreements for climate change, among others, he pointed out:
"Political statements are not enough for us," but rather France wants "encrypted", "credible" and "binding" guarantees.