Stories for December 19th 2011
Mercosur summit to deal with Venezuela inclusion and obstacles to trade
A two day Mercosur summit begins Monday in Montevideo with Foreign Affairs ministers meeting Monday and the presidents on Tuesday when the rotating chair will be passed from Uruguay to Argentina for the next six month.
President Obama wants to re-float a free trade agreement with South America
United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk announced that the administration of President Barack Obama is intent in reaching a free trade agreement with South America and called for a greater opening of the Brazilian economy.
UK ambassador underlines close historic links between Falklands and Punta Arenas
British ambassador in Chile Jon Benjamin met this week in Punta Arenas with a group of local students from municipal managed schools who were recently part of an exchange program with the Falkland Islands and underlined the close links between the two communities.
“Falklands’ flag remains an internationally recognized registry”
Surprise and perplexity has surfaced from the Falkland Islands following the announcement by President Jose Mujica that Falklands’ flagged vessels are barred from Uruguayan ports.
Mujica “submissive”, “obsequious” with Argentina, claim Uruguayan opposition
Uruguayan opposition called the government of President Jose Mujica “submissive” and “obsequious” with Argentina for having announced it was barring Falkland Islands flagged vessels from the port of Montevideo.
Storm sinks Russian oil drilling rig off Sakhalin in 20 minutes: 49 crew lost
An oil drilling rig with 67 crew members on board capsized and sank off the Russian far eastern island of Sakhalin (North Pacific, Sea of Okhotsk) when it ran into a storm while being towed, leaving 49 of the crew unaccounted for, the regional Emergencies Ministry said.
Argentina appeals to sniffer dogs to detect capital flight at border crossings
Argentina attempt to control capital flight through strict foreign exchange measures including the tax revenue office which gives its approval or denial to foreign money transactions have added another tool: sniffer dogs.
Spain criticizes Argentina for trying to intercept fishing vessel when leaving Montevideo
Spanish ambassador in Uruguay Aurora Diaz-Rato criticized Argentina following an incident with an Argentine Coast Guard unit which tried to intercept a Spanish flagged vessel when exiting Montevideo en route to the Falkland Islands.
Uruguayan navy air patrol escorts Spanish fishing vessel heading for Falklands
As Spanish vessel with Falkland Islands fishing licence was harassed Saturday morning by the Argentine Coast Guard on leaving the port of Montevideo for the South Atlantic and had to reroute course in Uruguayan waters until reaching the high seas.
