MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Uruguay's new administration after more open and frank relations with Mercosur

Nin Novoa: “our embassies must be efficient trade offices” and for that the number of 'political appointees' in embassies will be cut drastically.

Career diplomats at key embassies, a more frank approach in talks with Mercosur, closer links with Israel and any free trade option with the United States remains frozen, anticipated Rodolfo Nin Novoa, Uruguay's next foreign minister as of next March first when the new administration takes office.

 “Main embassies such as in Brazil, Spain and the United States will have career diplomats, not political nominees as ambassadors, and in Argentina we have named a former Tourism minister who has a deep knowledge of bilateral relations”, said Nin Novoa who underlined trade and investments approach as the main task for those ambassadors and their staff in countries which are Uruguay's leading markets. “Our embassies must be efficient trade offices”.

Uruguay currently has an estimated twenty 'political appointees“ in embassies plus a couple of 'roaming ambassadors', displacing professional diplomats.

Regarding Mercosur the next administration will try ”an open, frank policy in relations with the group, are we to continue as currently or are we to change and try to accomplish the original objectives of Mercosur?”.

However the idea of a free trade agreement as was tried during the first administration of president Tabare Vazquez, (2005/2010) “remains to be seen; time is not ripe, it's hard to see such an initiative moving ahead”.

Finally Nin Novoa revealed that the Director General of the Uruguayan foreign ministry will be the current ambassador in Israel, Bernardo Greiver.

“We've talked it over with the Jewish community and they are satisfied. Besides it is a strong signal to Israel, and furthermore he has proven to be a good diplomat, is well aware of the workings of the ministry and he's a very hard working fellow”, said Nin Novoa.

When asked about the current tight relations between Uruguay and Israel, mostly because of sharp differences between President Jose Mujica's foreign minister Luis Almagro motivated in statements referred to the bombing of Gaza and other Israeli policies, Nin Novoa said he was not going to the foreign ministry “to mark differences”.

“I've come with clear instructions from President Tabare Vazquez which are to keep looking for, and opening trade opportunities for Uruguay, reaffirming the country's longstanding diplomatic and political policies such as abiding by international law, no meddling in other countries' internal affairs, peaceful solution to controversies, support for United Nations, all those for which Uruguay has been and is acknowledged world wide”