Brazil currently the chair of Mercosur has opened a consultation period until December 18 on a possible trade agreement between the South American block and the United Arab Emirates.
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The idea is to reach and listen to the private sector, scholars, civil society, academics and other interested parties.
Ana Claudia Takatsu, director of the International Negotiations department of the Brazilian Foreign Trade Secretariat, revealed that during a meeting held last August, UAE conveyed its interest in a comprehensive trade agreement with Mercosur members. The topic was also presented during a visit by the UAE minister of state for Foreign Trade, Thani Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, to the Brazilian Ministry earlier this year.
Al Zeyoudi reaffirmed his interest in strengthening the partnership with Mercosur both in the meeting with Foreign Trade Ministry representatives and with the other Mercosur countries he visited. He presented a term of reference for launching negotiations.
“In this conversation, the UAE’s Foreign Trade minister proposed to start a dialogue. He showed great interest in making a trade agreement with us and the other Mercosur countries,” Takatsu told Brazilian media.
However the director said the Secretariat chooses priority agreements to focus on and conclude. “If there are too many agreements at the same time, we cannot dedicate ourselves fully and properly to any of them,” she said. The same team is responsible for all agreements.
A possible agreement with the UAE was not a priority for this semester, which is to the brim with negotiations on the Mercosur-European Union free trade agreement. “We could make faster and more significant progress in the next semester,” she said. ■
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