Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva handed over the pro tempore presidency of the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) to his Paraguayan counterpart Santiago Peña during the closing ceremony of the 67th Summit of Heads of State held in Foz do Iguaçu, Paraná state, as reported by the Argentine News Agency (NA). In his speech, Lula expressed his hope that the trade agreement between Mercosur and the European Union can be finalized next month, at the beginning of the Paraguayan presidency. The leader highlighted the inauguration of the Brazil–Paraguay Integration Bridge as "another symbol of our determination to walk together," while defending the need to deepen the regional agenda for physical and economic integration. Paraguayan agenda for the block Peña, for his part, wrote on social media that he came to the Summit with a vision focused on facts and concrete benefits for the peoples of Mercosur. The president emphasized to his peers the importance of strengthening structural convergence mechanisms (FOCEM), reducing bureaucracy that hinders joint progress, and accelerating logistical connectivity via the Hidrovía and the Bioceanic Corridor. He also stated that it is "imperative" to open new markets outside the EU and seek business opportunities in Asia and the Middle East, given the delays in traditional agreements. A block of more than three decades Created in 1991, Mercosur emerged within the framework of the democratization process in South America and consolidated itself as the main regional integration mechanism in the Southern Cone.
