It is ‘a trade agreement coherent with our ambitions in terms of climate and biodiversity, and is part of a valorization strategy that respects both parties’, said the French president
At a time when he is criticizing a possible free trade agreement between the European Union (EU) and Mercosur, President Emmanuel Macron highlighted the renewal of an agreement between Chile and the European bloc as an example of association. “It’s a good agreement, and I think it should inspire many others, because it is part of this new generation that respects the interests of both parties,” Macron said at the La Moneda presidential palace in Santiago, at the start of his two-year official visit. days to .
It is “a trade agreement consistent with our ambitions in terms of climate and biodiversity, and is part of a valorization strategy that respects both parties”, highlighted the French president. Chile is not a full member of Mercosur, unlike Brazil and Argentina, previous stops on the region’s tour. The bloc negotiates an agreement with the EU.
In France, farmers resumed their mobilization to protest, mainly, against the free trade agreement with Mercosur, which the European Commission, under pressure from countries such as Germany and Spain, is determined to sign by the end of the year. In Macron’s view, this text would lead to unfair competition, like a flood of Argentine or Brazilian meat not subject to the EU’s strict sanitary and environmental standards.
Last generation
Chile and the EU approved an association agreement in 2002 that was renewed at the end of last year and still needs approval from the bloc’s countries to come into force. With this modernization, 99% of Chilean exports to the EU will have some type of tariff exemption. The agreement includes a chapter on trade and gender, in which the parties commit to ending discrimination against women.
“One of the things we talked about with President Macron in our bilateral meeting is that Chile and France are proud of this agreement, which is state-of-the-art”, highlighted the Chilean president, adding that the two countries committed to making “every effort to accelerate its ratification in the French parliament”.
Macron is seeking to update France’s presence in a region he has visited little since his first election seven years ago. Although exchanges with Brazil have intensified since President Lula returned to power, he had not yet explained in detail his vision for relations between his country and the region.
*With information from AFP
Posted by Carolina Ferreira
