MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Uruguayan president to meet Bush

Insisting that Uruguay is not after economic aid, but rather “work opportunities”, Uruguayan president Jorge Batlle will be meeting with his American counterpart George Bush next Friday in the White House.

This is the second time in less than twelve months that both presidents come together but have talked on the phone several times particularly since the current Argentine situation broke out. During his five days visit in Washington Mr. Batlle will be promoting beef, dairy and citrus sales plus a trade agreement with the United States either bilaterally or in the framework of the still on the drawing board, Free Trade Association of the Americas. Uruguay highly dependent on regional trade has suffered extensively as a result of the current Mercosur situation, particularly since the '99 Brazilian devaluation and the four years of Argentine recession. Uruguay currently has a 20,000 tons beef quota in the United States market and has been requesting a 5,000 tons extension. However, last April minutes before Mr. Batlle was scheduled to meet with president Bush in the White House, he was informed of a foot and mouth disease outbreak, frustrating the request. Mr. Batlle will be presenting ("cowboy") President Bush with a pair of silver stirrups, and US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick a documentary video with details of the ongoing rescue of Lord Nelson's insignia vessel "Agamemnon" laying in the sea bed of Maldonado Bay.