Flags of Mercosur and the current full member states. File photo. (RedRadioVE) by Milena Bravo
Bolivia is now officially incorporated into the Southern Common Market (Mercosur), Bolivia’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade Benjamín Blanco announced. The country joined the bloc at the summit of the heads of state of Mercosur, which began on Thursday, December 7, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
At a press conference on December 6, Blanco said, “Let us hope that for this summit on December 7, Brazil will make the official announcement of the ratification of the protocol of Bolivia’s accession to Mercosur, since it is the only country yet to complete these formalities. Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay have already ratified the accession protocol.”
On December 7, Brazil completed the necessary protocol for Bolivia’s accession to the bloc. The president of Brazil, Luis Inácio Lula da Silva, celebrated the incorporation of Bolivia in Mercosur, stating that this accession strengthens the bloc.
O Mercosul do Amanhã começa com a adesão da Bolívia, hoje aqui representada pelo companheiro @LuchoXBolivia. Nosso bloco ficará ainda mais forte ao acolher 12 milhões de irmãs e irmãos bolivianos. Serão 43 bilhões de dólares que se somarão ao PIB do MERCOSUL. A Bolívia é uma das…
— Lula (@LulaOficial) December 7, 2023
Bolivia to be ‘point of convergence’
Bolivian Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade Benjamín Blanco stated that by being part of Mercosur, Bolivia becomes “part of all the trade rules that will allow us to overcome the obstacles or barriers that we currently have to enter the Southern Market.”
#Ahora 🔴
Viceministro de Comercio Exterior, Benjamín Blanco: “Al ser parte del Mercosur vamos a ser parte de todas las normas comerciales que permiten superar los obstáculos o las barreras que en este momento tenemos para ingresar al Mercado del Sur”.#BTVInforma pic.twitter.com/zXi54cAr0z— Bolivia tv Oficial (@Canal_BoliviaTV) December 5, 2023
The deputy minister added that with the accession to Mercosur, Bolivia becomes the only country that is a member of all the main economic integration blocks in South America, as it is also part of the Andean Community. “Bolivia aims to be the point of convergence between the Andean Community and Mercosur,” he stated.
He added that after incorporation, his country will assume obligations such as Mercosur’s Common External Tariff, which is charged by the countries of the bloc to third countries, and the nomenclature of the Southern Common Market. “In four years, Bolivia has to gradually and flexibly accept all the norms of Mercosur’s,” he said.
Arce Confident in Bolivia Joining Mercosur Thanks to Lula (+Lithium)
The president of Bolivia, Luis Arce, and Foreign Minister Celinda Sosa traveled to Brazil to participate in the preparatory meetings and the summit.
At the end of November, Brazilian President Lula da Silva announced that “the Brazilian Senate approved Bolivia’s entry into Mercosur. Thanks to the senators for completing this process and congratulations to President Luis Arce and Bolivia for joining Mercosur.”
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/SC/DZ
