Brazil’s Agrictulture Minister: Portugal Will Be Major Ally in Mercosur-EU Agreement

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – On Wednesday, October 14th, Brazil’s Minister of Agriculture Tereza Cristina stressed the importance of the partnership with Portugal for the approval of the Mercosur-European Union Trade Agreement, stating that the country “will be Brazil’s great ally in the discussions.”

The statement comes two days after Portugal’s Agriculture Minister, Maria do Céu Antunes, declared that her country is committed to the swift approval of this agreement. The subject was discussed by the two representatives during the Brazilian Minister’s trip to Europe.

“We discussed the presidency of the European Union Council, which Portugal will undertake from January next year. This is very important, because it will be the voice of a country that has supported the Mercosur-European Union Agreement from the very first moment,” said Tereza Cristina in a review of her visit to Portugal posted on social media.

One of the visit’s agenda items, classified as “fruitful” by the Minister, was the meeting promoted by the Portuguese Agency for Investment and Foreign Trade (AICEP), an organization similar to the Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (APEX).

At the event, Tereza Cristina said she had the opportunity to answer questions about Brazilian agriculture in connection with the environment and the Amazon. “A transparent debate, of course, highlighting the good things Brazil has,” the Minister said. “It was a meeting that I believe had an excellent result,” she added.

Dairy products from the Azores and small farmers were other issues addressed during her visit to the European country, according to Tereza Cristina. She also stressed her visit to the port of Sines, which, according to the Minister, “can be the gateway for many other Brazilian products, mainly from the agri-food chain to Portugal and Europe.”

For the full picture, see our Mercosur EU Trade Deal: Complete Guide.