Von der Leyen wants to sign the agreement with Mercosur on December 20, according to the Brazilian Government.

Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira stated this Wednesday that the intention of the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, is to sign the trade agreement between the European Union (EU) and Mercosur on December 20 in Rio de Janeiro. Vieira assured in a conversation with journalists that the signing of the agreement was discussed during the meeting held in the city of Belém between Von der Leyen and the Brazilian president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. "The President of the Commission reaffirmed her certainty, her belief, and her firm hope that the agreement will be signed at the end of the year (...), when the Mercosur summit will be held," he declared. The agreement, which has been under negotiation for over two decades, has faced resistance from European countries such as France and Poland. Meanwhile, the bloc formed by Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and, in the process of accession, Bolivia, has been pushing for it to be signed as soon as possible. ...