President Javier Milei will travel this Saturday to Asunción, Paraguay, to participate in the signing ceremony of the free trade agreement between Mercosur and the European Union. At the same ceremony, the host country will assume the pro tempore presidency of the regional bloc. According to official sources, the Argentine delegation will depart at 9 a.m. After the brief stay in the neighboring country, Milei will travel to Switzerland to speak at the World Economic Forum in Davos, to be held from January 19 to 23. For the libertarian government, the signing of the Mercosur-EU agreement is a major diplomatic achievement. Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno noted that “Argentina, led by President Javier Milei, decides to compete, produce, and grow with clear rules and in freedom.” He highlighted that “the European Union will eliminate tariffs for 92% of our exports and grant preferential access for another 7.5%.” For this reason, the Argentine government will wait for Mercosur to issue its opinion on this agreement before it can advance with parliamentary ratification. Former President Mauricio Macri, who had pursued this agreement during his term, celebrated that “an unparalleled stage for the region is opening.” The agreement was backed by the European Union and now must be ratified by Mercosur and the parliaments of each country in the respective blocs.
