Brazil's foreign trade surplus more than quadrupled this year to more than $13 billion, the government reported Monday.
The Prime Minister's Official Spokesman (PMOS) said that the 2003 Honours List, as always, reflected and paid tribute to outstanding achievements and service right across the community and the nation as a whole.
Argentina has been described as the world's worst performing stock market in the British media. British investors lost 62 pence in every pound invested in the Argentine stock market, which fell by over 61 per cent in what the London Times newspaper calls economic meltdown. This was nearly twice as bad as the second worst performing stock market ? Germany, which lost 38 per cent of its value.
President Eduardo Duhalde on Monday thanked his ministers for helping to stem over the past year a social, political and economic crisis that took Argentina only a step away from anarchy. One year ago, when we assumed power, the country was just a step away from anarchy, with clashes among Argentines, Duhalde said at a meeting of some 450 government officials at the Olivos presidential residence.
A preventive summer ban on Hubbsi Hake is being imposed from 1 January to 31 March in the Common Fishing Zone (CFZ) shared by Argentina and Uruguay.
The Families' Commission which groups the next-of-kin of Argentine servicemen killed during the 1982 South Atlantic War responsible for building a monument to the fallen of the conflict to be constructed at the Argentine Cemetery at Darwin said yesterday that they were extremely optimistic that the project would get underway in the New Year.
Uruguay will strictly comply with its foreign debt obligations in 2003, Economy and Finance Minister Alejandro Atchugarry said Friday.
Corina Goss from FIBS reviews the highlights of the twelve months of 2002 which had a special significance for the Falklands: the twentieth anniversary of the conflict that put the Islands once again in the world media during several months. The commemorations centred in June, --Liberation Day--, but extended to November with the visit of HRH Prince Andrew and the SAMA pilgrimage. In December a new Governor with a long experience in Argentine and South Atlantic affairs, Mr. Howard Pearce took office.
However, it was also the year of the controversial abattoir and when the Islands were declared free of foot and mouth; when squid decided to move into the high seas forcing the Islands government to tighten the budget; when the first oil exploration licences since 1996, were awarded; when mounting deaths of penguins in the archipelago beaches remain as an unsolved mystery; plus the long usual list of distinguished visitors, official and non official, as the interest in these remote but unique Islands keeps growing.
Headlines: HMS Sheffield to Chile; Trade surplus; Punta Arenas monument to oil; Argentine crisis losses; Rich, poor and very poor; Uruguay working on human anthrax vaccine.
Former British Minister for Europe Peter Hain shook hands on a deal for the future of Gibraltar with his Spanish counterpart; it has emerged in press reports from Wales. But hours later the Spanish Government reneged on the agreement. Details of the deal that almost was came to light this week in an article in the Western Mail. Mr Hain is currently Minister for Wales where the paper is published.