Overview
- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa will meet Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in Rio de Janeiro on Jan. 16, a day before the EU‑Mercosur signing in Asunción.
- Lula confirmed he will not attend the Paraguay event, which will feature Argentina’s Javier Milei, Paraguay’s Santiago Peña and Uruguay’s Yamandú Orsi.
- Foreign ministers will formalize the text on Jan. 17—Argentina will be represented by Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno—following the Council of the EU’s Jan. 9 approval.
- Argentina’s government privately criticized the Rio stop as a “lack of respect,” reflecting frictions that have deepened between Lula and Milei.
- The EU credited Brazil’s recent Mercosur presidency with advancing the talks, and the agreement still requires ratification by the European Parliament, EU member states and Mercosur countries.