BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - Mercosur intends to conclude talks about a free trade agreement with the European Union (EU) as soon as possible, say officials from the bloc after a meeting of Mercosur's Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Trade to assess the status of the negotiations.
Last week a group of 52 lawmakers in the European Parliament asked the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, to suspend negotiations on a trade agreement with Mercosur for the murder of Marielle Franco, a city councilor of Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil.
The most recent negotiations between the EU and Mercosur on a free trade agreement were launched in May 2016 and include discussions on tax exemptions, certification of origin of products, technical barriers to trade and phytosanitary measures, among other points.
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX