Letter: Paraguay's trade

Sir: In a caption to the photograph of President Luis Alberto Lacalle of Uruguay (8 June), you tell your readers about Mercosur, the Southern Cone common market, which, you say, Uruguay has formed with Argentina and Brazil.

I am writing to express my disappointment that you omitted to mention Paraguay as a member of Mercosur. Paraguay is an active and energetic partner in this important trading group, and the founding treaty of Mercosur is called the Treaty of Asuncion, having been signed in our capital city. This treaty is our equivalent of the Treaty of Rome, setting up the European Common Market.

Paraguay has long had a firm commitment to the process of integration in Latin America in its various manifestations, and the policies of President Andres Rodriguez, who finishes his term of office on 15 August, have been consistently directed towards promoting trade liberalisation in our area. The programme of President-elect Juan Carlos Wasmosy also states the policy of working towards the full realisation of the potential of Mercosur.

Yours faithfully,

ANTONIO ESPINOZA

Ambassador

Embassy of Paraguay

London, SW7

28 June