President Luis Lacalle Pou highlighted the “firm and growing” path in which relations between Uruguay and China as a balance of his trip to the Asian country; and assured that the Chinese president’s phrase Xi Jinping on the consolidation of a Free Trade Association It was “the one we were waiting for, the phrase that makes us predict growth in the economic link.”
President Lacalle Pou closed his five-day tour China with an interview given to the local news agency Xinhua, in which he not only took stock of the diplomatic and commercial relations between both countries throughout their 35 years of history; but also of the trip in particular, from which he returned with 24 signed treaties and memoranda, and the feeling that, for the first time in months, the signature of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) —either bilaterally or with the Mercosur— It’s a close possibility.
It is “the one we were waiting for, the phrase that makes us predict a growth in the bond“In this case, specifically in the economic link,” said the head of state when asked which phrase stood out especially among the conversations with his counterpart Xi. The reference was to the Chinese president’s comment about “moving forward rapidly” in the construction of a Free Trade Association.
Lacalle Pou, who highlighted “the warmth, the hospitality of the government and the Chinese people” in the reception of the Uruguayan delegation – made up of more than 45 people, including government authorities and businessmen –, he also emphasized that the ties between both countries are “ based on the trust”, as well as in “the cooperation and the complementarity of our economies.”
The main trading partner of the last decade
Referring to more economic issues, the president assured that the 35 years of relationship between Uruguay and China It makes us “strengthen and continue to cement what is coming.”
“We are convinced that multilateral “This is where we should move,” he said. Lacalle Pou and highlighted that “mutual knowledge” between cultures “can only generate greater links that are obviously going to translate into economic matters.”
Likewise, the president made a good evaluation of bilateral commercial cooperation, which in 2022 placed China as the main destination of Uruguayan exports, representing income for the country in 3,675 million dollars. “The Uruguayan businessmen They have understood the culture and needs of the Chinese people and have taken the risk of coming here, and once the Chinese market opens, growth is exponential”, pointed out Lacalle Pou.
As an example, he pointed out that “for ten years China is ours main commercial partner.” He also highlighted that Uruguay It has the presence of some important Chinese companies, especially with regard to technology, logistics and infrastructure.
Regarding the initiative of the Belt and Road to which he joined in 2016 —and on this trip progress was made on a construction plan within this program,” Lacalle Pou He compared it to “what is Uruguay in it Southern Cone”: “has a global vocation to be a arrival center from that region to the world.”
“Uruguay It is a stable country, that complies with its commitments, with open arms, whose vocation is freedom in trade. I believe that it fits firmly with the concept of the Belt and Road, we have seen results and we are convinced that in this visit and future visits, they will continue to increase”, The president concluded on a vision that he defined in three words: “trust, tradition or custom, and a happy future.”
Source: Ambito
