Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro looks on during an Soldier's Day ceremony, in Brasilia, Brazil August 23, 2019. REUTERS/Adriano Machado

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said on Friday the South American common market Mercosur has concluded a trade deal with EFTA, the European free trade group formed by Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.

In a post on Twitter, Bolsonaro said the deal is a positive result of his government’s diplomatic efforts to open up trade between Brazil and other countries.

He announced the deal as Brazil faced criticism from foreign leaders over fires raging in the Amazon, with some European countries threatening not to approve a deal between Mercosur and the European Union.