MERCOSUR Commission of Permanent Representatives to meet
The Commission of Permanent Representatives to Mercosur (CPMR) will meet today in Montevideo, Argentina.
Mercosur, an economic and political bloc consisting of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, was created in 1991 in an effort to improve relations between rivals Argentina and Brazil. Venezuela was previously a member but was suspended indefinitely in 2016 for failure to comply with the bloc’s democratic principles. The CPMR functions to strengthen economic, social and parliamentary relations in Mercosur, and to establish links to the Joint Parliamentary Commission and Economic and Social Consultative forum. Furthermore, the CPMR collaborates with the state that holds the Pro Tempore Presidency of MERCOSUR (currently Paraguay), which rotates every semester
Given that this is a routine and scheduled meeting, expect that the Commission will discuss issues of political fragmentation amongst members driven by differing visions for the future of the bloc, staving off the effects of COVID-19 and current global inflation, as well as the war in Ukraine. Mercosur has yet to develop a united front on the Ukraine question, with Brazil and Argentina not joining a WTO list that condemns Russian aggression.
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