Brussels, 24/04/2012 (Agence Europe) - In response to the seizure of the Repsol oil company's Argentinian subsidiary YPF, Spain is proposing that the EU pursues its negotiations with Mercosur without Argentina.
The Spanish minister for foreign affairs, José Manuel Garcia-Margallo, informed the press at a meeting in Luxembourg with his European counterparts on Monday 23 April: “We need to see whether it is necessary to continue to push for a trade agreement with the Mercosur bloc or whether we should continue talks through a non-regional agreement.” The minister also argued that the conflict between Spain and Argentina could complicate the already difficult negotiations with Latin American partners in Mercosur (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay and Venezuela, which is currently negotiating its accession). The minister explained: “We have asked the Council to examine whether the experience of negotiations with the Andean Community could be applied” in negotiations with Mercosur. In 2008, the EU withdrew from the negotiations on an EU agreement with the Andean bloc, following the withdrawal of Bolivia and Ecuador. Instead, it chose to initial a multi-party agreement with Colombia and Peru in March 2011. Although negotiations with Mercosur have stalled somewhat, AFP reported that the Spanish minister has suggested that they “approach Brazil to find out whether it would be in favour of non-regional negotiations”. (EH/transl.fl)