MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

President Mujica is welcome at the White House whenever he wishes, says US ambassador

Ambassador Reynoso with Foreign minister Luis Almagro

United States ambassador Julissa Reynoso said Uruguayan president Jose Mujica is welcome to the White House whenever he wishes, and revealed that Uruguay is in the short list of countries that soon could be exempted from requiring a visa to travel to the US.

On Thursday Dominican-born US ambassador Reynoso made the official presentation of her credentials letters and later had a meeting with President Mujica. Following the interview the new US representative held a press conference with Foreign Minister Luis Almagro in her mother language Spanish.

Ms Reynoso said that currently the US consulate is delivering 95% of visas requested, nevertheless “not having to request one is something Washington is assessing closely with great interest”.

“In the region two or three countries and one of them is Uruguay, we are looking with great interest in seeing what’s happening. We’re not there yet but there is great interest in the possibility of a change in the visa issue in the future”, said the US ambassador.

Ms Reynoso said Washington was not concerned with the fact that the Uruguayan ruling coalition, Broad Front (which includes the Communist party and other Marxist oriented groups) claims to be “anti-imperialistic”.

“Being anti-imperialistic does not mean anti-American, hopefully not. The US has come a long way in its domestic policy towards the world and towards Latin America”, said Ambassador Reynoso who described President Mujica and his administration as “our friend and colleague in many issues”.

Likewise she said it was an honour and a privilege to be in Uruguay, “an example of stable democracy” and with Washington there is a “high level of relations” with “a constant exchange in several fields”, which she anticipated will continue. “I’m very anxious to visit the country, to visit the rest of Uruguay, go to the neighbourhood markets, galleries, shopping as any lady likes doing”.

Finally the ambassador revealed that the recent conversation between presidents Mujica and Barcak Obama at the Americas summit in Colombia was “very positive” and a step forward “for a more in depth and wider discussion between both countries”.

“If President Mujica is interested in visiting Washington and the White House it’s only a matter of organizing the visit”, she said adding there’s great chemistry between the two leaders “plus a direct link, so it’s only a matter of time when those conversations will take place in Washington”.

During the meeting in Colombia, the two presidents addressed several issues, including “trade, education, from the region and even about their families”.

“Trade issues with Uruguay have advanced in the past, but we can still advance more, and this is in line with the interests from President Obama and State Secretary Hillary Clinton’ wishes to further strengthen close links between the two countries”, concluded ambassador Reynoso.

During the press conference it was pointed out to Ms Reynoso that Washington has still to approve the access of Uruguayan citrus and lamb to the US, “two items with years of yet inconclusive negotiations”.