BRASILIA: Brazilian Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota and his visiting German counterpart Guido Westerwelle on Monday called for signing a free trade agreement between the European Union and the South American trade bloc Mercosur.
"We count on the Brazilian presidency (of Mercosur) in the second half of the year" to make progress, Westerwelle told a press conference with Patriota at his side.
Negotiations over a free trade agreement have stumbled so far over differences on agriculture -- notably Europe's subsidies to its farmers, which undermine South America's efforts to sell its own products.
Mercosur groups Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. Venezuela's membership was approved by the presidents of the four member states but the addition has not been ratified by Paraguay's legislature.
The German minister said reaching a deal "will not be easy," but he said Berlin would use "all its weight to ensure that the negotiations succeed."
Patriota meanwhile pledged that Brazil would, during its presidency, "devote its energy and attention to this bi-regional project."
The two foreign ministers also discussed Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff's visit to Germany in March, where she is scheduled to open the Hanover technology fair.
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