São Paulo – In a speech delivered on Tuesday (30) at the Mercosur Summit, United Arab Emirates Minister of State for Foreign Trade Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi said that his country and the bloc’s member states are working toward an agreement that goes beyond trade cooperation. The proposed partnership includes strengthening the resilience of food value chains, supporting the energy transition, and developing logistics links that open new markets. The 68th Mercosur Summit was held in Asunción, Paraguay.
In his address, Al Zeyoudi reaffirmed the UAE’s commitment to concluding a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with Mercosur, whose members are Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay. Bolivia is in the process of joining the bloc. Al Zeyoudi noted that non-oil trade between Mercosur and the UAE reached USD 6.2 billion in 2025, alongside joint investments and collaborative projects.
Mercosur and the UAE formally launched negotiations on the Gulf nation’s accession to the bloc in 2024. If concluded, the partnership would make the UAE the third Arab partner to sign an agreement with Mercosur, following Egypt and Palestine. Negotiations with Canada are at an advanced stage, while talks with Japan were officially launched at this summit. During the event, Paraguay handed over Mercosur’s rotating presidency to Uruguay.
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Translated by Guilherme Miranda
Supplied/Mercosur