The President of the Republic, Luis Lacalle Pou, participated this Thursday 27 in Tokyo in the Japan-Uruguay Business Forum business seminar, offered by the Japan External Trade Organization. On the occasion, he highlighted the transformations that the Government implements, indicated that they reflect a long-term view and valued the country’s maturity to finalize bilateral trade agreements with new partners.
The official delegation is also made up of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Francisco Bustillo; Economy and Finance, Azucena Arbeleche; Industry, Energy and Mining, Omar Paganini; Livestock, Agriculture and Fishing, Fernando Mattos; the president of the National Meat Institute, Conrado Ferber; the executive director of Uruguay XXI, Sebastián Risso, and the ambassador of Uruguay in Japan, Victoria Francolino.
Lacalle Pou highlighted the presence of Uruguayan businessmen from various sectors who accompany the official delegation of the Executive Power on this occasion. He stressed that they will be in charge of continuing the possibilities generated by the Government, and that this is one of the pillars of the national foreign policy, which promotes the development and placement of products abroad.
“This delegation would be incomplete if only public officials had come,” he asserted.
He also stated that Uruguay is a country that projects in the long term and, in this sense, highlighted three episodes that demonstrate this vision of the future: the reform of social security, the educational transformation and the issuance of the environmental bond. On this last milestone, he celebrated the placement of 1,500 million dollars, at a time when the United States Federal Reserve increases the interest rate. “You have to be very attractive to be able to compete”, Indian.
Lacalle Pou also pointed out the social cohesion generated by the COVID-19 pandemic in Uruguay, where each citizen exercised their freedom and respected the care suggested by the health authority. “One more sign that it is a country to go and invest in,” she valued.
Regarding trade relations with Japan, he maintained that they are complementary economies, and that Uruguay has much to offer, such as food security, an indicator in which it stands out in the region, he assured. He also recalled that, together with Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay, it can ensure food for a large part of the planet.
Likewise, he highlighted the technological development that Uruguay presents and that it is becoming an international operations center for this sector, and welcomed the fact that world-class companies set up their offices in different parts of the territory.
Regarding trade openness, he stated that the State works with a vocation to open its markets, and that, although progress is preferred in conjunction with Brazil and Argentina, if this does not happen in the Mercosur sphere, the country is prepared to establish bilateral agreements with other nations. “We are going to make free trade agreements with all those countries that consider it so,” he said.
He also stated that not all doors should be closed and that it is necessary to use the instruments available, for the ultimate goal of continuing to grow. In this sense, he maintained that if in the future Japan considers it convenient to establish an agreement with Uruguay, “Regardless of whether Mercosur is willing to make bilateral agreements or not, we will be prepared to move forward.”
Lacalle Pou added that in November Uruguay will present the letter of adherence to the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, which will add another level of relationship, in a block to which Japan belongs.
The president’s participation in the event is part of the official visit for the commemoration of the centenary of diplomatic relations between Uruguay and Japan, celebrated in 2021. The delegation will remain in the Asian country between October 27 and 29 in response to the invitation made by the government of Japan.
