MONTEVIDEO, May 1 (Xinhua) -- Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi said Friday that the provisional launch of a free trade agreement between the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) and the European Union (EU) could bring more trade and employment after more than 25 years of negotiations.

Speaking after a May Day event in Montevideo, Orsi said the agreement is beginning to take effect and could strengthen ties with Europe at a time of rising protectionism.

"We need to open our doors again, and that is the greatest virtue," he said.

The agreement provides for gradual reduction in tariffs on most goods trade, with improved market access for Mercosur agro-industrial products and the removal of barriers to European industrial exports, he added.

Orsi said Mercosur members, including Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, are still discussing how to allocate export quotas to the EU, one of the sensitive issues in the rollout. ■