This is an HTML version of an attachment to the Freedom of Information request 'Communications on Brazil'.



All the redaactions are done under Reg. 1049/2001
or out of scope
Ref. Ares(2019)300850 - 18/01/2019
Ref. Ares(2019)2673845 - 17/04/2019
DELEGATION OF THE EUROPEAN UNION TO BRAZIL 
Author: 
Art. 4(1)(b)
Date: 18.01.2019 
 Classification: 
UNCLASSIFIED 
 To: EDITA HRDA, Managing Director Americas, EEAS 
 Subject:  BRAZIL: Argentinian President Macri is the first Head of State to visit Brazil 
since the inauguration of President Bolsonaro (Brasilia, 16 January 2019) 
Art. 4(1)(a) 3rd indent
ASSESSMENT: 
1. The visit of President Macri was considered very important by President Bolsonaro.
Art. 4(1)(a) 3rd indent
2. Important issues were tackled during the visit, notably the future of Mercosur (as
Argentina is currently holding the pro-tempore presidency of the bloc and Brazil will have
it during the second Semester 2019)
Out of scope
3. President Bolsonaro accepted an invitation by President Macri to visit Argentina at a later
date to be confirmed.
Detail: 
4. President Mauricio Macri was the first Head of State to visit Brasilia since the
inauguration of Jair Bolsonaro as President on 1 January.
Art. 4(1)(a) 3rd indent
5. During his visit, Macri was accompanied by numerous ministers, including Nicolás
Dujovne (Finance), Dante Sica (Production and Work), Jorge Faurie (Foreign Relations),
Germán Garavano (Justice), Patricia Bullrich (Security), and Oscar Aguad (Defence). On
the Brazilian side, apart the Minister of Foreign Affairs Ernesto Araújo, several other
ministers were also present, including Minister of Justice, Sergio Moro; Defence,
Fernando Azevedo Silva; Economics, Paulo Guedes; Agriculture, Teresa Cristina; Mines
and Energy, Bento Costa Lima Leita Alburquerque Junior; Science, Technology and
Information, Marco Pontes, and Institutional Security Cabinet, Augusto Heleno. The new
President of the Foreign Trade Promotion Agency, Mario Vilalba, and the Secretary of
Strategic Affairs, Maynard Marques de Santa Rosa also participated in the encounters.
6. Brazil is Argentina's largest trade partner and Argentina is the main destination for
Brazilian manufactured goods.
Art. 4(1)(a) 3rd indent
There has been a big 
drop in trade flows in recent years, when Argentina exported less to Brazil. As a whole 
Mercosur became less important to Brazil as a percentage of its global trade, dropping to 
8.7% in 2017 from 10.8% in 2011. 

The need to modernize and re-centre Mercosur: 
7. On Mercosur, both presidents declared in a joint statement that they decided to work,
during their consecutive pro-tempore presidencies in 2019, to review the common
external tariff; improve access to markets, and go further in trade facilitation and
regulatory compliance. At the external level, they agreed to push forward the "most
promising" ongoing negotiations and to assess the beginning of new negotiations with
other partners..
8. Both Presidents agreed to continue integrating their economies by "perfecting" the South
American trade bloc Mercosur and pressing ahead with negotiations that are already
underway. "Brazil will be a strong ally in building an integrated region" Bolsonaro said.
"We are confident that Mercosur can be modernized." He evoked a "slender" Mercosur:
"It is necessary to value the original Mercosur tradition, with commercial opening,
reduction of barriers and elimination of bureaucracies. We also agree that, with Uruguay
and Paraguay, we need to improve Mercosur
".
Art. 4(1)(a) 3rd indent
Art. 4(1)(a) 3rd indent
Art. 4(1)(a) 3rd indent
Art. 4(1)(a) 3rd indent
Art. 4(1)(a) 3rd indent
The fight against transnational crime among other cooperation priorities 
13. Regarding bilateral agenda items, both presidents agreed on a non-exhaustive list of
priorities for future cooperation. Among the most notable, the list includes :
Out of scope
- Trade: prompt and systematic treatment of trade and investment issues; trade
facilitation.

- Infrastructure and Energy: infrastructures; connectivity, including by air, between the
two countries; science, technology and innovation; renewable and non-renewable
energy; energy integration.
14. A new bilateral Extradition Treaty was signed, which will improve the framework of the
legal cooperation in fighting organized crime, drug trafficking, corruption and money
laundering.  The idea is that the document of extradition, in the case of the arrest of a
person in the neighbouring country, will be implemented without going through the
diplomatic channels and then be formalized.
Sign-off:  Claudia Gintersdorfer – [Acting Head of Delegation] 
EEAS:  SOBRAL, SCHMID, SERRANO, 
Art. 4(1)(b)
 LEFFLER, 
Art. 4(1)(b)
 EEAS AMERICAS, EEAS 
AMERICAS DMD, EEAS SG, EEAS ECO, EEAS POL, EEAS CSDPCR, EEAS PSC POL, EEAS 
STRATEGIC-POLICY-PLANNING, EEAS EU INTCEN ANALYSIS, EEAS REPORTING, EEAS 
AMERICAS 3 
EU DELs: HOD ARGENTINA, HOD BARBADOS, HOD BOLIVIA, HOD CANADA, HOD CHILE, HOD 
COLOMBIA, HOD COSTA RICA, HOD CUBA, HOD DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, HOD ECUADOR, HOD 
EL SALVADOR, HOD GUATEMALA, HOD GUYANA, HOD HAITI, HOD HONDURAS, HOD 
JAMAICA, HOD MEXICO, HOD NICARAGUA, HOD PARAGUAY, HOD PERU, HOD TRINIDAD & 
TOBAGO, HOD UN, HOD URUGUAY, HOD USA, HOD VENEZUELA 
EU DEL BRAZIL: GINTERSDORFER, 
Art. 4(1)(b)
DEVCO: S. MANSERVISI, J. BUTKEVICIENÉ, 
Art. 4(1)(b)
DG TRADE: H. KONIG, 
Art. 4(1)(b)
S. GALLINA,
Art. 4(1)(b)
DG AGRI: J. CLARKE, 
Art. 4(1)(b)
FPI: H. HARDEMAN,  Art. 4(1)(b)
DG RTD: MC RUSSO 
DG CONNECT: 
Art. 4(1)(b)
CAB JUNCKER: R. SZOSTAK 
CAB MOGHERINI: S GRASSI; E. PETROCELLI 
CAB MIMICA: N. BEHRNDT 
CAB MALSMTRÖM: M. CEBALLOS BARON 
CAB TUSK: 
Art. 4(1)(b)
COUNCIL: J TRANHOLM-MIKKELSEN;  Art. 4(1)(b)  L SCHIAVO; 
Art. 4(1)(b)