PARANA, Argentina — At a Dec. 16 summit in Parana, Argentina, Lebanon signed a memorandum of understanding with Mercosur. Although news of the signing seems ordinary, it carries underlying significance for Lebanon.
Mercosur promotes free trade in South America. Established in 1991, it has five member states — Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay and Venezuela. Negotiations are currently underway for Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru to join the organization. Al-Monitor received a copy of the file prepared by the Lebanese Foreign Ministry for the delegation attending the summit, outlining the following figures and details.