Venezuelan gov't establishes ad hoc committee for Mercosur

The Presidential Commission for Mercosur (Common Market of the South) "shall undertake all the activities and recommendations" to facilitate Venezuela's entry into the regional trade bloc, as quoted from the decree released on the Official Gazette on Tuesday.

The purpose of the new body is to "adapt the country strengths to consolidate a mighty structure of economic, productive and trade integration of Our America."

The multi-taskforce will be chaired by Foreign Minister Nicolás Maduro; Minister of Petroleum and Mining Rafael Ramírez will be the deputy chair. The work team is completed by the ministers of Industry; Trade; Aquatic and Air Transport; Agriculture and Lands; Vice-Minister for Latin America and the Caribbean; the ambassadors of Venezuela to Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay, and Mercosur expert Isabel Delgado.

For the production and private sector will be Miguel Pérez Abad, the president of the Venezuelan Federation of Artisans, Micro, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (Fedeindustria); Alberto Vollmer, and the president of the Venezuelan Federation of Pig Breeding (Feporcina), Alberto Cudemus.