Brussels, Buenos Aires, 30/06/2000 (Agence Europe) - "The European Union considers vital its relationship with Mercosur, the biggest and closest regional organisation, with the best prospects for the future", declared Europe's CFSP reprsentative Javier Solana, at the Mercosur/Chile/Bolivia summit, which he was invited to attend as EU representative. Javier Solana recalled in his address that the EU and Mercosur have begun negotiating an association agreement. In the political sector, the objective is to "give greater substance and scope to dialogue". In trade matters, tariff negotiations will begin in July 2000, he recalled, recognising that the negotiation process will "inevitably be difficult" due to "its complexity and the sensibilities involved". But, "I am fully confident in the efficacy of the negotiating teams and their capacity to find imaginative solutions to complex issues".