President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) met with the Prime Minister of Japan, Sanae Takaichi, in a bilateral meeting at the G7 Summit in France, this Tuesday (16).
Lula said he hopes to announce the opening of negotiations between Japan and Mercosur at the bloc’s next meeting, on June 30 in Paraguay.
“I am very happy with this virtuous prospect of a Japan-Mercosur agreement. We are waiting for that, cwith a lot of intensity. I hope that at the next Mercosur meeting, on June 30th, we can have good news”, said the president.
The president’s aides indicate that talks about Mercosur-Japan are progressing and that negotiations could be launched during the G7 or at the summit of South American countries.
Launching negotiations means, in practice, establishing the basis for bargaining between the sides and announcing the start of negotiations. The meeting between Lula and Takaichi is considered strategic for this to happen.
Palácio do Planalto assesses that the price of the President of the United States, Donald Trumphas encouraged countries to seek alternative partners and promoted negotiations of this type. Mercosur is currently experiencing the most powerful moment in its history when it comes to free trade agreements.
