მერკოსური: სამხრეთამერიკული ბლოკის ევოლუცია და გამოწვევები

Abstract

Simultaneously with the changes in the global economy and policy swings in the United States of America and Europe at the beginning of the 1990s, signifi cant transformations occurred in Latin America as well. By the end of the Cold War neo-liberalism became new dominant ideology under the leadership of the USA, which exerted its infl uence on the South as well. New era of Regionalism in Latin America was marked by the creation of the Southern Common Market – Mercosur: a new trade bloc that has fundamentally changed the concept and understanding of Regionalism there. The founding of Mercosur had been laid on cooperation between Brazil and Argentina. The purpose of the agreement was expansion of domestic markets for its members via integration process, and economic growth for promoting social justice in Latin America. Free movement of the goods, eliminating trade barriers, imposing common tariff s on foreign trade and harmonization of laws were also included among the founding objectives. They called for implementing joint coordination of macroeconomic policies and improving infrastructure.