European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called for a win-win EU-Mercosur deal to benefit both blocs when she visited Argentina on Tuesday as part of a tour of Latin America.
“I hope that we conclude the EU-Mercosur agreement. We have exchanged a first letter. We are waiting for an answer. And we are very eager to work as much as possible to conclude this agreement, a win-win agreement,” he said during a press conference at the Casa Rosada, the presidential palace, together with Argentine President Alberto Fernández.
According to President Fernández “it is up to us and Europe to remove the obstacles, and if there is political will it is not that difficult.”
An unratified agreement
Mercosur, an alliance between Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, reached an agreement with the EU in 2019 after more than 20 years of negotiations, but the pact has not been ratified, in part due to European concerns over environmental policies. of former Brazilians. President Jair Bolsonaro (2019-2022). The arrival of the new president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has reignited discussions that remain difficult.
Ursula von der Leyen also announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Argentina on essential raw materials, particularly lithium, whose demand in Europe “will be multiplied by 12 by 2030,” she said.
Argentina is one of the world’s main producers of this metal, particularly sought after in batteries, and forms the “lithium triangle” with Bolivia and Chile, with about 65% of world reserves.
Source: BFM TV
