Ministers

Published on
05/01/2026 – 17:33 GMT+1

It’s another crucial week for the contentious Mercosur deal. European Union agriculture ministers will meet on Wednesday for key political talks that could lead to a vote on the agreement on Friday.

An EU diplomat told Euronews that the meeting, which is being organised by the European Commission, will be attended by EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič, Agriculture Commissioner Christophe Hansen, and Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare Olivér Várhelyi.

Together, they are expected to give “clarifications” on the continued support for farmers’ income in the next budget of the Common Agricultural Policy.

The deal, which aims to create a free-trade area with Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, was at the centre of heated discussions at December’s EU summit.

Its supporters – lead by Germany and Spain – have been pushing for a quick endorsement in order to access new markets at a time of geoeconomic tensions, while Italy and France succeeded in postponing a crucial vote in order to protect their farmers, who fear they will be unable to compete with imports coming from Latin America.

Depending on the outcome of this week’s talks, the EU farm ministers’ meeting could open the door to a vote on the Mercosur agreement on Friday. To be implemented, the deal needs the backing of a qualified majority of EU member states.

Decision day looms again

Among the items on Wednesday’s agenda will be limits on pesticides that can be contained in products imported into the EU, with France demanding that the deal include reciprocity in production standards.

France has been facing an agricultural crisis for several weeks, with farmers protesting against both the Mercosur agreement and the government’s handling of lumpy skin disease, a contagious virus affecting cattle.

In a letter sent on Sunday, French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu called on the EU to tighten border controls on products that do not respect EU sanitary and phytosanitary standards.

The French government also announced it would issue an order to suspend imports from Latin America containing residues of pesticides banned in the EU.

That measure, however, would require clearance from the European Commission. Pressure from Paris has already led the Commission to propose a safeguard to strengthen the monitoring of the European market to avoid unexpected disruptions.

That legislation was the subject of a deal between the European Parliament and the EU Council, and is expected to be endorsed by the 27 member states on Friday during a meeting of EU ambassadors.

Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodriguez met with the country’s cabinet of ministers following the abduction of Nicolas Maduro. She has expressed willingness to work with the US, while Donald Trump warned of serious consequences if she fails to cooperate.

Talks held between Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan Al-Shaibani, Defence Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra and the Russian president.

Syria’s foreign and defence ministers met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow and held discussions on expanding “strategic cooperation in the military industries sector”, Syrian state media has reported.

The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) ⁠said that Putin’s meeting on Tuesday with Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs Asaad Hassan Al-Shaibani and Minister of Defence Murhaf Abu Qasra ‌focused on political, economic and military issues of “mutual interest”, but that “particular emphasis” was on defence.

According to SANA, Putin and the Syrian ministers discussed a range of defence-related matters, including developing military cooperation to strengthen the Syrian army’s capabilities and ‌modernising its equipment, transferring expertise and cooperation in research and development.

“During the meeting, both sides reviewed ways to advance military and technical partnership in a manner that strengthens the defensive capabilities of the Syrian Arab Army and keeps pace with modern developments in military industries,” SANA reported.

The two sides also discussed political and economic issues, including the “importance of continued political and diplomatic coordination between Damascus and Moscow in international forums”, according to the news agency.

On the economic front, the talks addressed expanding Syrian-Russian cooperation, including in reconstruction projects, infrastructure development and investment in Syria.

Putin also reaffirmed Russian “steadfast support” for Syria and its territorial integrity, while renewing “Moscow’s condemnation of repeated Israeli violations of Syrian territory, describing them as a direct threat to regional security and stability”.

The ministers’ visit to Moscow is the latest by Syria’s new authorities since the removal from power last December of the country’s longtime ruler and Moscow’s former ally in Damascus, Bashar al-Assad.

Russia was a key supporter of al-Assad during Syria’s nearly 14-year civil war, providing vital military aid that kept the Assad regime in power, including Russian air support that rained air strikes on rebel-held areas.

Despite al-Assad and his family fleeing to Russia after the toppling of his regime, Moscow is eager to build good relations with the new government in Damascus.

Moscow, in particular, is hoping to secure agreements to continue operating the Khmeimim airbase and the Tartous naval base on Syria’s Mediterranean coast, where Russian forces continue to be present.

In October, Syria’s new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, visited Russia, where he said his government ‍would honour all the past deals struck between Damascus and Moscow, a pledge that suggested that the two Russian military bases were secure in the post-Assad period.

Putin said ‍at the time of al-Sharaa’s visit ⁠that Moscow was ready to do all it could to act on what he called the “many interesting and useful beginnings” discussed by the two sides on renewing relations.

Russian ‌state media on Tuesday quoted the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, as saying that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov would also hold talks with ‍his Syrian counterpart, Al-Shaibani, during the Syrian delegation’s visit.

During a visit to Moscow in July, Al-Shaibani said his country wanted Russia “by our side”.

“The current period is full of various challenges and threats, but it is also an opportunity to build a united and strong Syria. And, of course, we are interested in having Russia by our side on this path,” Al-Shaibani told Lavrov at the time.