President Javier Milei will travel to Asunción, Paraguay, to participate next Saturday in the signing of the free trade agreement between Mercosur and the European Union, scheduled for that day, according to Argentina News Agency from official sources. The European Council authorized the European Union on January 9 to sign the treaty with Mercosur, which had been announced in 2019 but could not be implemented due to objections from some countries on the Old Continent. For Milei's government, the agreement will allow for an increase in exports and the arrival of investments. The libertarian administration has taken the signing of the agreement as its own achievement: Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno highlighted that “Argentina, led by President Javier Milei, decides to compete, produce and grow with clear rules and in freedom.” The official emphasized that the European Union “will eliminate tariffs for 92% of our exports and grant preferential access for another 7.5%. In this way, 99% of Mercosur's agricultural exports will benefit,” he described. “Argentina and the countries of Mercosur will gain preferential access to the EU, the world's third-largest economy, a market of 450 million people that represents nearly 15% of global GDP,” Quirno highlighted on his social media. More voices Former President Mauricio Macri, who had advocated for this agreement during his administration, celebrated that “an unbeatable era is opening for the region.” The agreement was backed by the European Union and must now be ratified by Mercosur and the parliaments of each country that make up each regional bloc. For this reason, the Argentine government will wait for Mercosur to issue its opinion on this agreement in order to proceed with parliamentary ratification, parliamentary sources informed Argentina News Agency.
