MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

President of Uruguay left for the UK on his first visit to Europe: will meet with Prince Charles, Boris Johnson

The president's father, Luis Alberto Lacalle Herrera, was the only Uruguayan president so far to visit the UK during his time in office

The President of Uruguay, Luis Lacalle Pou, traveled this Saturday to London for an official visit to the country, which will last until May 24. Lacalle Pou will be received by Prince Charles and United Kingdom’s Prime Minister, Boris Johnson on Monday 23rd.

The trip follows an invitation from the British PM, Johnson, with whom he will meet on Monday at 10 Downing Street. According to the Uruguayan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, economic and commercial ties will be deepened on this occasion.

On the same day, the President will be received by Prince Charles of Wales at Clarence House, his official residence, El Observador reported.

The official Uruguayan delegation will have their first public event on Monday afternoon entitled “Uruguay, a reliable gateway to South America - Opportunities in green finance.” Lacalle Pou will give a lecture, at Canning House, a non-profit non-governmental organization dedicated to the discussion of social, political and economic issues in Latin America.

The name of the institution is in honor of Jorge Canning (George Canning, 1770-1827), Foreign Secretary between 1807 and 1809 and between 1822 and 1827, a key figure in the participation of British diplomacy in the independence processes in Latin America, mainly in the conformation of what would later become the Eastern State of Uruguay, the first name of the Republic.

“Since 1997, the Canning Lecture has been given by a visiting Latin American or Iberian president or head of government. The Canning Lecture is one of the highest profile events of its kind in the UK and a unique opportunity to hear from and interact directly with a current Latin American or Iberian leader,” reports the organization's official website.

The president's father, Luis Alberto Lacalle Herrera, was the only Uruguayan president so far to visit the UK during his time in office, when he traveled there in 1993, where he met with Queen Elizabeth II, who made him a Knight of the Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George.

Since taking office on March 1, 2020, Lacalle Pou has traveled to Argentina, Brazil, Chile, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Mexico, the United States and Paraguay.

Although state visits generally include a gala reception by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace, the heir to the British throne will be in charge of meeting with Lacalle Pou, given that the monarch currently has a limited agenda due to her advanced age and the precautions taken due to the pandemic.