Mercosur
Kast calls for joint fight against organized crime at Mercosur summit
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President José Antonio Kast made his debut Tuesday at the Mercosur heads of state summit in Asunción, Paraguay, where he urged greater regional coordination against organized crime and addressed the recent tragedy in Venezuela.
The South American trade bloc Mercosur has started negotiations with Japan for an economic partnership agreement. The announcement came during a leaders summit in Asuncion. It follows Mercosur's recent free-trade deal with the European Union.
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The European Parliament rejected a motion of censure against Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday, January 22, initiated by the far right over disputes surrounding the Mercosur agreement. The motion garnered only 165 votes in favor against 390 against. The French government firmly opposes any provisional application of the treaty, calling it a 'democratic violation'.
The Argentine government signed the first contracts on Tuesday, January 6, for the concession of 741 kilometers of national routes to private companies, forming Stage I of the Mercosur Corridor. These routes include the Rosario-Victoria Bridge and will boost trade with Brazil and Uruguay. Economy Minister Luis Caputo emphasized that this initiates a modern highway network without subsidies.
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At the Mercosur summit in Foz do Iguaçu—where the EU trade deal was delayed without signing, as previously reported—Argentine President Javier Milei sharply criticized the bloc's bureaucracy, endorsed U.S. pressure on Venezuela, and invited Paraguayan President Santiago Peña for a state visit to strengthen bilateral ties.
Following the recent permanent freeze of Russian assets, EU leaders at the Brussels summit made progress toward using them to provide a 90 billion euro loan to Ukraine, with Belgium open to compromises under guarantees. Fallback to EU budget if needed. Mercosur trade deal delayed to January amid protests.
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Building on recent calls for delays from France and others, the EU has secured additional safeguard clauses for agriculture to advance the long-stalled free trade agreement with Mercosur. Brazil presses for swift approval ahead of the planned Saturday signing, as reservations persist among member states.
EU parliament requests EuGH opinion on mercosur agreement
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December 18, 2025 09:33EU-Mercosur free trade deal signing postponed until January