President Michel Temer was optimistic about signing a free trade agreement between Mercosur and the European Union later this year. He said there is a meeting scheduled for September and that “it is not unlikely” that the agreement be closed at that time.

“The issues surrounding the Mercosur alliance with the European Union are still under discussion. There is a meeting scheduled again in September and we strive very hard for it, myself and the [Argentina’s, Mauricio] Macri’s president over time. And it is not unlikely that this agreement will be closed in September. ”

Temer said that the trade agreement announced yesterday (25) between the European bloc and the United States does not disturb the negotiations between South Americans and Europeans. Temer also praised Mercosur’s rapprochement with the Pacific Alliance, made up of Chile, Peru, Colombia and Mexico.

Proposal by Putin

The president spoke to reporters after leaving a meeting with the president of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa. Temer also said that in one of the meetings with the BRIC heads of state, Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed a greater union among the peoples of the five countries.

“President Putin proposed in a more individualized meeting that we had, that we make our peoples come together more. And that means a sporting match, a sort of championship of the BRIC countries; a film festival. To introduce the culture in our relations, from outside to part the economic relations “.

The 10th Brics Summit is being held since yesterday in Johannesburg. According to the Itamaraty, the group accounts for 23% of the world’s gross product and 18.2% of international trade. In ten years, trade between countries in the bloc has grown from US $ 92 billion to US $ 288 billion.

Source: Agencia Brasil