(3 Mar 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Asuncion, Paraguay – 03 March 2025
1. German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier arriving at the government palace in Paraguay
2. President of Paraguay Santiago Peña German President with their respective first ladies
3. Joint conference after the meeting
4. SOUNDBITE (German) Frank-Walter Steinmeier, president of Germany:
"The EU-Mercosur agreement is very important; it will be a very important milestone in cooperation between the European Union and much of South America. It creates a free trade zone in the world with 715 million inhabitants. It would be the largest free trade zone in the world."
5. Both presidents
6. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Santiago Peña, president of Paraguay:
"But today, looking at Germany as a strategic partner, so that Paraguay can lead the sustainable fuels of the future, this transition from fossil fuels to biofuels, Paraguay has everything to be a great protagonist and also in the area of green hydrogen where the combination of these two riches that Paraguay has; water and energy are the fundamental elements for Paraguay to move forward."
7. Presidents shake hands
8. Government Palace
STORYLINE:
In a visit to Paraguay’s capital on Monday, German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier stressed the importance of the EU-Mercosur deal, saying it would benefit hundreds of millions of people.
After years of talks an agreement was struck in December of 2024 between the E.U and five Latin American nations: Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina and Bolivia.
However Argentina’s President Javier Milei has since said his country would be prepared to leave the Mercosur bloc to pursue a trade deal with the U.S. The deal was also opposed by many in France. Under pressure from his country’s powerful and vocal farming lobby, French President Emmanuel Macron said Friday the deal remained “unacceptable” as it stands and stressed that governments have not yet seen “the final outcome” of negotiations.
Paraguay’s President Santiago Peña further spoke of a transition away from fossil fuels, saying that his country would "look at Germany as a strategic partner".
Steinmeier is due to travel to Chile on the next stage of his South American tour.
AP Video shot by Emilio Sanabria
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