Uruguay and Argentina have become the first Mercosur founding members to ratify a 25-year-negotiated free-trade agreement with the European Union, establishing one of the world's largest free-trade zones. The deal, which encompasses over 700 million people and a quarter of global GDP, passed Uruguay's lower house with a 91-2 vote on Thursday, following Senate approval. Argentina's Senate also ratified the pact with a 69-3 vote on the same day, after the Chamber of Deputies' approval on February 12. Brazil and Paraguay are expected to follow suit soon. This trans-Atlantic accord, signed on January 17, aims to boost multilateralism despite ongoing legal challenges in the EU's top court.