Uruguay looks askance at the diplomatic conflict between Spain and Argentina, two of the main drivers of Mercosur – European Union (EU) agreementdue to the repercussions it may have on an eventual closure of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between both regional blocks. For the moment, however, the government does not believe that it will affect the course of the negotiations.
The crossings between the Argentine president Javier Milei and his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez They led to a diplomatic conflict that does not seem to be on the way to being resolved. In fact, while the libertarian continues to “chicane” the leader of the Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE)Spain definitively withdrew its ambassador from Buenos Aires.
While some Argentine media dismiss the possible economic consequences that this break in diplomatic relations may have, in neighboring countries the future of the situation is being observed with some caution. For the moment, the alarms were not raised in the Uruguayan government.
Asked about this at a press conference, the chancellor Omar Paganini He maintained that, although he still does not have “an evaluation of the situation,” he hopes that “paths of calm” will be found between both international leaders.
“I hope that it doesn’t go beyond a few outbursts from one direction and another and that paths of calm can be found,” he said.
Regarding possible consequences for the negotiation – significantly cooled by the positions of France and Brazil- for him Mercosur-EU agreementPaganini dismissed the concerns: “In principle, the negotiation with the EU and the Mercosur It passes through other organisms, it passes through the European Comission in Brussels, for the agreements we have at the level of the Mercosur. The truth is, I don’t think this will affect it,” he considered.
A rapprochement with Argentina
In parallel to the scandal with Spain, the ambassador of Argentina in Uruguay, Martin Garcia Moritan stated this Monday that when his country solves its internal “things”, the president Javier Milei will visit the charrúa lands. A sign that diplomatic relations between both governments are moving in the opposite direction to what seems to be the norm of the libertarian president’s international policy.
“When we start to solve our things internally we will have the president here soon,” Moritán assured the EFE agency, after introducing him to the president. Luis Lacalle Pou their credentials in the Estevez Palace from Montevideo. Likewise, when asked about relations between both countries, García Moritán simply stated that they are “better than ever.”
This Monday afternoon the new ambassador was one of the seven diplomats who gave Lacalle Pou the credential letters that left them formally qualified to hold the position. So did the new ambassadors of Venezuela, Yldefonso Rafael Finol Ocando; of Türkiye, Tunca Özçuhadar; of Italy, Fabrizio Petri of South Korea, Wonil Noh; of Ecuador, Isabel Wagner Areco, and Paraguay, Didier César Olmedo Adorno.
Milei was invited by Lacalle Pou to visit Uruguay within the framework of the investiture of the Argentine ruler, held in Buenos Aires on December 10. In April, Lacalle Pou traveled to Bariloche, on a private flight with Argentine businessmen residing in Uruguay to participate, together with Milei and the president of Paraguay, Santiago Pena from the business meeting called Llao Llao Forum.
Source: Ambito
