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Thursday, July 20, 2017 
Foreign Minister Muñoz attends meeting of Mercosur Foreign Affairs Ministers and Associate States
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The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Heraldo Muñoz, attended the meeting between Mercosur Chancellors and its Associate States in Mendoza. This took place before the Bloc's Presidential Summit that will take place tomorrow.

During the encounter, the assembly dealt with different issues of common interest, such as the developments in the confluence of Mercosur and the Pacific-Alliance, promoted by Chile at a regional level in its role of the Alliance's President Pro Tempore. This convergence has a roadmap that has been agreed upon by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and the Ministers of Commerce of both factions during a meeting in Buenos Aires, last April.

The Foreign Ministers of both member and associate states took part in this evenings event, amongst which there were Jorge Faurie, from Argentina; Eladio Loizaga, from Paraguay; and Rodolfo Nin Novoa, from Uruguay, alongside with Foreign Minister Muñoz.

During the meeting, the Foreign Ministers also analysed the documents that will be approved tomorrow by the Heads of State, among which there was a Special Declaration to coordinate joints actions against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing; and a Mercosur Commitment with the Paris Agreement.

During the afternoon, Minister Muñoz met with his Argentinian Counterpart, Jourge Faurie, to analyse issues of the bilateral and regional agenda.

The Southern Common Market was created in 1991 by Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. Venezuela and Bolivia also joined, but the first one is suspended and the second one has to fulfil its adhesion process. Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Guyana and Surinam are Associate States.

Chile was the first country to establish an Association Agreement with the alliance, gaining the figure of Associate Member in 1996 through the signing of the Economic Complementation Agreement number 35. A wide political, social, cultural and commercial agenda has developed under this figure.

Mercosur is Chile's fourth trade partner (after China, the USA and the European Union). In 2016, it represented a 10% of our country's total exchange (US$12.311 million) and it musters a 48,6% of Chilean Foreign Investment (around US$55.527 million).