Asunción, Agencia IP.- The Foreign Minister, Rubén Ramírez Lezcano, participated virtually in a seminar held this Monday at the European Parliament in Brussels.
The Foreign Minister’s address took place during the first session, titled «Towards the Ratification of the Mercosur-European Union Agreement,» within the framework of Paraguay’s Pro Tempore Presidency.
The Secretary of State highlighted the strategic importance of the bi-regional agreement and the need to expedite its ratification.
He emphasized that, despite the challenges encountered during the process, mutual respect and trust-building enabled the consolidation of an alliance between two blocs united by history, culture, and democratic values.
«For Mercosur, this is not just a trade agreement. As President Santiago Peña stated during the signing ceremony here in Asunción, it affirms our commitment to integration and represents a strategic commitment that seeks to benefit millions of citizens on both our continents. We are creating the largest economic space on the planet,» he said.
He emphasized that the agreement will create the world’s largest free trade area, encompassing more than 700 million inhabitants and a gross domestic product exceeding 20% of the global total, thus establishing itself as one of the most significant bi-regional integration efforts today.
The Minister also addressed the scale of bilateral trade and the untapped potential between the two blocs, highlighting the complementarity of their economies, particularly in food security and energy.
Regarding the ratification process, he reported that the Mercosur member states have already begun the necessary internal procedures and that, in Paraguay’s case, there is strong political interest in its prompt approval by the National Congress.
Finally, Foreign Minister Ramírez Lezcano reaffirmed Mercosur’s political commitment to implementing the agreement and called on both regions to expedite the approval processes, promoting greater mutual understanding and constructive dialogue to transform this instrument into concrete benefits for citizens.
«The signing of this agreement is not the end. The signing of this agreement is the beginning. And we are confident that, after the first quarter of this 21st century, we can truly achieve an agreement that allows us to make sustained progress in the largest integration process on the planet,» he concluded.