Germany and Uruguay want to quickly ratify a free trade agreement between the EU and Latin American trading group, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on Sunday.
“We hope, we also need this Mercosur free trade agreement,” Steinmeier said at a press conference for Uruguay’s new president, Yamandú Orsi.
However, he added that some European member states still need some “elections”.
The agreement between the EU and Mercosur countries – Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay – will create one of the world’s largest free trade zones with a population of more than 700 million. Its main purpose is to reduce tariffs and thus increase trade.
After more than 20 years of talks, the European Commission and the Mercosur Alliance of South America negotiated a vast free trade zone in December.
But in countries such as France, Italy and Poland, Europe has resistance. Meanwhile, German farmers fear new competition may be cheaper than them.
Uruguayan President Orsi also called for the rapid implementation of the agreement. He noted how long it took for the negotiations, thanked Germany for its participation, saying: “Germany’s support is particularly important to us.”
Orsi and Steinmeier jointly expressed hope that Argentina will not withdraw from the deal with its super-liberal president, Javier Milei, because Steinmeier said it will have an impact on the entire concept.
