Brussels, 20/09/2000 (Agence Europe) - The rumbles against a supposed European indifference is rising in the Mercosur countries, on the eve of the first official visit of the European Commissioner for Trade, Pascal Lamy, in Uruguay (Thursday 21 September), in Argentina (22 September) and Chile (the 25 and 26 September). After having protested, at the beginning of the month, over the absence of high level European representatives during the EU/Mercosur meetings on the sidelines of the UN Assembly, Argentina has unilaterally decided to cancel the EU/Mercosur business forum that should have taken place this 21 and 22 September in Buenos Aires, due to the lack of participation by European CEOs. The Mercosur countries also due to the slowness of the association agreement negotiations between the EU and the Mercosur that should have been part of the lively debate over the liberalisation of trade as of July 2001.
Before the European press, Commissioner Lamy nevertheless seems unaffected. "I read the Argentine statements. It is always a good preparation for these kind of trips" he announced simply, while adding that "increasing the pressure is part of the tactics". Certainly, he admitted, the negotiations between the EU and Mercosur "will take time. The Mercosur is very complicated: compared to it, the European Union seems to be a monster of simplicity. We have a mandate from the Council that we are following". For the Commissioner (who already went to Brazil this year) his new trip in the region , which will be followed in November by a visit from Commissioner Patten for the 4th round of negotiations, "proves the interest shown by the EU in Mercosur".
Commissioner Lamy should meet Thursday in Uruguay the President of the Republic, Jorge Batle as well as the Ministers for Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, Industry and the Economy. On Friday he will meet in Buenos Aires, the Argentine President, Fernando de la Rua, then the Ministers for the Economy, Foreign Affairs and Agriculture. Monday and Tuesday in Chile, he will meet trade Union representatives, NGOs and small and medium sized enterprises and take part in a economic and trade seminar. He will meet the President of Chile, Ricardo Lagos, the Minister for External Relations, Soledad Alvea, as well as the Under Secretary of State for External Relations and the Economy.