Brazilian chancellor goes on official trip to Argentina
Brazilian Foreign Minister Ernesto Araújo is slated to meet Argentine President Mauricio Macri and his Argentine counterpart Jorge Fauri on Wednesday (Apr. 10) in Buenos Aires. The trip aims to discuss bilateral ties, as well as ways to make Mercosur more flexible, materializing a deal with the European Union (EU), and to prepare for President Bolsonaro’s visit to the neighboring country.
A work meeting is expected to be held on economic affairs with Foreign Minister Jorge Faurie and Production and Labor Minister Dante Sica. Also slated is a visit to the Consulate-General of Brazil in Buenos Aires and an expanded meeting with Argentine ministers.
Araújo arrived in the Argentine capital Tuesday (9), when he delivered a talk on “Brazil’s new external policy,” directed at the of the Argentine Council for International Relations, an academic institute that brings together former diplomats and Argentine scholars.
Latin American identity
During the presentation, Araújo said Latin America must be rethought. “In this, Brazil and Argentina play a crucial role. We need each other to pursue this mission of making up for the time lost having our identity as our starting point,” he declared.
Araújo further mentioned efforts to make Mercosur flexible. He said four major agreements could be forged—with the EU, Canada, Korea, and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA, made up of Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Iceland).
After the conference, Araújo answered questions posed by students and journalists. When asked about how the status of EU talks, he said negotiations are approaching a conclusion.
