MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Uruguay's Foreign Ministry joins global sympathy over Queen's death

Bustillo also underlined the good ties relations between Mercosur and the European Union (EU)

Uruguay's Foreign Ministry Thursday issued a statement expressing the South American country's sympathy over the passing of the British monarch at Balmoral Castle.

“Queen Elizabeth II knew how to give stability to her country and face global political and economic challenges,” the Foreign Ministry stressed while highlighting the Queen's “unwavering commitment to the service of her nation.”

The Ministry also offered “our sincere condolences to His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales and the entire Royal Family, as well as to the British Government and people.”

“With a steadfast commitment to the service of her nation, Queen Elizabeth II was able to bring stability to her country and to meet global political and economic challenges during the years of her reign,” the document added.

“We join today in the grief of the British people with our respect and tribute to a memorable political personality,” the statement went on.

Meanwhile, Foreign Ministry Francisco Bustillo continued with his European tour. After his meeting in Berlin on Thursday with his German colleague Annalena Baerbock, Uruguay's top diplomat stressed that “it is promising what awaits us when we work together with Germany and Uruguay.”

Bustillo also underlined the good ties relations between Mercosur and the European Union (EU), as well as the bilateral relations between both nations. He added that the current international situation represented an opportunity for an agreement between the blocs.

The South American dignitary said that environmental issues and the use of green hydrogen as an energy alternative were also discussed during the encounter and pointed out that the two nations were an example in dealing with climate change: “We have an obligation to give [the future generations] a better world than the one we inherited,” he said.

Baerbock replied that, despite the distance, there were common concerns about different issues and highlighted Uruguay's condemnation of the war in Ukraine. She also mentioned that Germany could follow Uruguay's experience regarding the energy transition, which implies that more than 90% of the production is based on renewable resources.

The German minister added that this approach made it possible to visualize alternatives to face the current crisis while highlighting the European country's undertakings in the field of green hydrogen.

Baerbock also underscored Uruguay's handling of cannabis as a State policy.

Bustillo is on an official mission to Europe to broker the ratification of the agreement between Mercosur and the EU, as Uruguay is in charge of the bloc's pro tempore presidency.