The President of the Republic, Luis Lacalle Pou, received on Monday 24 the High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell. At the end of the meeting, the international leader reported that an official visit to the country is being made for the first time and that the meeting was based on current issues regarding the relationship between the EU, Uruguay and Mercosur.
Foreign Minister Francisco Bustillo also participated in the meeting, held at Suárez’s residence.
Borrell is also the vice president of the European Commission, in charge of coordinating external action and establishing the activity of the commissioners to improve the link between the agency’s policies.
In a press conference, he reported that it is the first time that a high representative of the EU has made an official visit to Uruguay and specified that issues related to the war in Ukraine and its impact on the world economy and political stability were addressed.
“Uruguay is the Latin American country with which we share the same political model and a similar social system,” said Borrell. Likewise, he pointed out that Uruguay demonstrated political stability and reliability, which allowed it to attract European investment.
He stressed that the EU remains committed to the association agreement with Mercosur and that, before the end of the year, additional elements in environmental matters will be considered, so that progress can be made. “In 2023, together with the Spanish presidency of the EU, it would be the right time to finalize the agreement,” he considered.
Then the European representative and Foreign Minister Bustillo held a working meeting, held at the Foreign Relations headquarters, in which the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of the Presidency, Álvaro Delgado and Rodrigo Ferrés, respectively, also participated; and the Minister of Economy and Finance, Azucena Arbeleche.
Government participated in the 4th European Investment Forum in Uruguay
Bustillo, accompanied by the head of the Ministry of the Environment (MA), Adrián Peña, and the interim Minister of Industry, Walter Verri, participated in the 4th European Investment Forum in Uruguay, which began on Monday 24 in Montevideo. The event, organized by the EU delegation in Uruguay, consists of a conference, panels and a business round, in order to facilitate contact between Uruguayan and European companies in the renewable energy sector.
In his speech, Bustillo mentioned that in September 2019 the will to reach an agreement from the political point of view between Mercosur and the EU was ratified, and recalled that this bloc is the main direct investor in Uruguay, with more than 500 companies. in the country, in areas related to tourism, agriculture, forestry, energy, technology, information and financial services, among others. In 2020, it represented 36% of the total investment, equivalent to almost 12,000 million dollars.
In addition, he indicated that Europe is a destination for investments and expansion of national companies, which demonstrates the synergy and strategic potential of bilateral relations. He reiterated that Uruguay is recognized for its development in renewable energy and that the International Energy Agency positions the country first in Latin America and fourth in the world in terms of levels of electricity generation from this type of source.
“Uruguay is a country committed to climate action,” said Peña, who was part of the first group of exhibitors, along with the head of the National Agency for Research and Innovation (ANII), Flavio Caiafa, and the president, during his presentation. of Ancap, Alejandro Stipanicic.
Also in attendance, among others, were the high representative of the EU, Josep Borrell; the president of the Eurochamber Uruguay, Mario Amelotti; the executive director and deputy director of Uruguay XXI, Sebastián Risso and Inés Bonicelli, respectively, and the EU ambassador to Uruguay, Paolo Berizzi.
Peña highlighted the recent annual meeting in our country of the Euroclima program, which brought together more than 120 delegates from Latin America, the Caribbean and Europe. In addition, he recalled that, in terms of climate change, Uruguay contributes 0.04% of emissions, although it is significantly affected. He warned that it is a country with an agricultural base, which suffers from repeated droughts and floods and sees a rise in the average level of the sea, which has an impact on people and infrastructure.
He added that in our country, with a history of 400 years of cattle ranching without deforestation, the preservation of the native forest is also a state policy. In this context, he argued that the National Climate Change Response System is an example of governance in the world and represents one more attribute to attract investment.
Meanwhile, Verri highlighted the government’s drive for the development of hydrogen. He added that in the first phase of the roadmap, the installation of capacities and regulations to be promoted in the domestic market is sought.
