BUENOS AIRES – Argentina has an interest in seeing the Mercosur bloc and the European Union agree on a free-trade accord, visiting German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on Thursday.

“I see in Argentina a partner that not only has an interest, that is truly making its contribution, actively,” to concluding the protracted EU-Mercosur trade negotiations, Steinmeier said in Buenos Aires after a meeting with Argentine counterpart Susana Malcorra.

Steinmeier came to Argentina at the head of a delegation that includes other members of the German government, business executives, and representatives from the worlds of science, education and culture.

The trip is aimed at bolstering bilateral relations and laying the groundwork for next month’s visit to Germany by Argentine President Mauricio Macri.