The world is eager for agreements with Mercosur. In the region (Latin America), we are advancing with Panama and resuming negotiations to expand our agreements with other South American countries, he said. In his welcome address to the Brazilian city of Foz do Iguaçu, Lula had already said that several countries are interested in signing trade agreements with the South American bloc and expects several to be signed in the coming months. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva stated this Saturday at the Mercosur summit that while waiting for the European Union to show political will to sign a trade agreement, the South American bloc will continue to work with other partners. I hope we have six months of good international agreements, Lula affirmed when recalling that Brazil is transferring the temporary presidency of Mercosur to Paraguay this Saturday, which will hold it in the first half of 2026. Without political will, it will not be possible to conclude negotiations that have been dragging on for 26 years, the Brazilian leader stated. As the current temporary president of Mercosur, Lula stated that he scheduled the Mercosur Summit for December 20 in the Brazilian city of Foz do Iguaçu at the request of the European authorities themselves, as the intention was to sign the agreement on that date. An opportunity came to our hands to send the world an important message in defense of multilateralism, but unfortunately Europe has not yet decided, he stated. He pointed out that, while awaiting progress from Europe and given the protectionist measures adopted by several countries in the last year that threaten international trade, Mercosur is seeking other markets. I hope the agreement is signed as soon as possible in Paraguay. We are going to make an effort for that to happen for the good of our association and for the good of multilateralism, he added. Lula said that Mercosur is ready to sign and even accepted quotas for its agricultural products by the European Union and safeguard mechanisms, although he reserved the right to apply reciprocal measures. We will seek partnerships that will be key to the resilience of our economies, he said. Among the possible partners, he cited the progress in negotiations with the United Arab Emirates and with Canada. He added that Mercosur is also negotiating an agreement to expand its relations with India and another of tariff preferences with Vietnam. The world is seeking Mercosur. When doors close in some places, they open in others.
