The statements came during his speech at the ministerial council of the Southern Common Market, prior to the summit of presidents, in Puerto Iguazu, Argentina.

“The bloc has not been able to consolidate within itself policies that would allow for a substantial increase in trade among partners,” said the foreign minister, according to local media.

Bustillo pointed out that Mercosur has remained on the sidelines of important ongoing international negotiations.

He criticized the persistence of internal trade barriers and difficulties for the normal functioning of intra-bloc trade flows.

The head of Uruguayan diplomacy explained that Uruguay exports 25 percent of its production to Mercosur, while it receives “more than 40 percent in imports.”

In his speech, Bustillo reproached his country’s restrictions on access to the Argentinean market.

“To date, there are more than 600 applications pending authorization by Argentinean authorities,” he said.

We do not have agreements with any of the ten main economic and commercial powers in the world, and we do not have tangible progress with Asia, which is the most dynamic region in economic terms, he emphasized.

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