MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Uruguay committed to regional integration and a “better Mercosur”

Minister Pedro Vaz outlined Uruguay’s foreign policies no matter who’s the next president

Uruguay has no plans to abandon or become an associate member of Mercosur, but rather continue along the line established by President Tabare Vazquez which is doubling efforts “for a better Mercosur” said Foreign Affairs minister Pedro Vaz during a meeting with foreign correspondents in Montevideo.

Minister Vaz admitted that Uruguay as a junior member of Mercosur, has been facing growing trade and political difficulties with senior members (Argentina and Brazil) but nevertheless will continue to lobby strongly for the increase of negotiations with other blocks and third parties,

Vaz statements come with less than two weeks for presidential and congressional elections, with several of the competing groups including the main opposition National Party demanding a review of relations with Mercosur, “which remains stalled by internal disputes” and different macroeconomic policies from the members which make up almost 90% of the block’s GDP, Brazil and Argentina.

Above political and electoral changes, “Uruguay’s main foreign policies’ lines will remain, no matter which candidate finally is the next president”, he emphasized.

And one of the priorities of Uruguay is regional integration and improving Mercosur. “Uruguay has no plans to leave Mercosur, or become an associate member such as Chile”, pointed out Vaz,

Nevertheless he admitted that one of the main political problems faced by Uruguay in foreign relations is the conflict with Argentina over the construction of a pulp mill along the shared and jointly managed Uruguay River, which has “poisoned relations”.

“But relations with Argentina are more significant and long term than this specific issue and we are working jointly with normal relations”, he added. Vaz anticipated Uruguay will abide by the ruling of the International Court of Justice where the case is currently under consideration.

Overall with Mercosur “there is no interruption of activities; the group is not frozen nor have things simplified”.

Vaz also said that the Structural Convergence Fund created by Mercosur to contemplate the misbalances between the larger economies and those of junior members Uruguay and Paraguay is “insufficient”. The fund has 200 million US dollars to be invested in infrastructure projects of the two junior members.

Other key points of Uruguay’s foreign policy, and which are beyond party differences, include non interference in the internal affairs of other countries; no foreign military bases in Latinamerica; end to the trade embargo on Cuba and taking advantage of the TIFA agreement with United States.

However Mr. Vaz said he couldn’t advance an opinion regarding a full free trade agreement with the United States as was offered to Uruguay during the current administration of President Tabare Vazquez.