Cooperative leaders joined high-level officials to discuss the sector’s role in driving economic development in Mercosur countries. The event took place on 16 June in Buenos Aires, Argentina bringing together Argentina’s ambassadors to Brazil, Daniel Scioli; Paraguay, Domingo Peppo; and Uruguay, Alberto Iribarne.
ICA President Ariel Guarco also attended the event, along with over 30 representatives from some of the country’s largest cooperatives. The head of The National Institute of Associativism and Social Economy (INAES), Alexandre Roig; and the secretaries of International Economic Relations, Jorge Neme; and Coordination and Planning of the Argentine Foreign Ministry, Martín Yáñez, were also present.
Representatives from several ICA members attended the event, including Cudecoop (Uruguay) OCB (Brail), Concopar and Conpacoop (Paraguay), La Segunda, AFA, Sancor Seguros, Banco Credicoop and the Federation of Consumer Coop (Argentina), the National Institutes of Cooperatives of Paraguay and Uruguay, as well as Argentina. They were also also joined by representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture of Brazil.
Mr Guarco said: “From cooperativism we can contribute to strengthening productive integration in Mercosur and we can offer our potential jointly to other regions. Cooperativism is prepared to face the great challenges of the region and on a global scale. If we work together with the public sector, we have much greater potential.”
The President of Cooperatives of the Americas Graciela Fernández said: “Cooperatives are protagonists of regional integration because, in addition to being tools of social inclusion, they are the engine of economic development with principles and values.”
Participants agreed that empowering cooperatives could lead to greater productive integration within Mercosur based companies, achieve economic growth and contribute to social equity.
The full report is available here (in Spanish).
Photo: Ariel Guarco addressing participants (credit: Cooperar)
