The European Union and the South American trading bloc Mercosur are continuing to press for a swift conclusion to negotiations on a free trade agreement between the two regions. “The EU and Mercosur are engaged in constructive discussions with a view to finalizing the pending issues within the association agreement,” a joint statement issued late Thursday said. “Considerable progress has been made in the past months. Negotiations continue with the ambition to conclude the process and reach an agreement that is mutually beneficial for both regions and which responds to the demands and aspiratio…