MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Ambassador says linking Rosario to Uruguay should be a state policy

Enciso spoke of a “moment of optimism regarding the business environment in both countries”

Uruguay's Ambassador to Buenos Aires Carlos Enciso Christiansen insisted it was necessary to promote a state policy to improve connectivity between his country and the Argentine city of Rosario. He made those remarks en route to the ExpoAgro event in nearby San Nicolás.

After a meeting with Rosario Mayor Pablo Javkin, Enciso underlined the importance of strengthening the flow of people and goods between Uruguay and the “Argentine Chicago,” dubbed so first because it is where the grain stock exchange operates and later for its maffia-like crime notoriety.

Last November, two French companies showed interest in the initiative that seeks to link the river terminals of Rosario and Buenos Aires with those of Colonia, Montevideo, and Piriápolis, in Uruguay. Nautical charts were also updated to promote cruises.

“We talked with Mayor Javkin about the desire to have an airline that connects Rosario with Montevideo and, in fluvial matters, its transport in our rivers has a greater offer and other commercial possibilities apart from the transfer of cargo,” Enciso stressed. Air routes were once operated by BQB, Sol, and other companies, but they have been discontinued.

“Our expectations are that river transport can be strengthened, and we are very attentive because we know that there is a node and an important interest. Part of this visit we are making is to leave these connectivity issues installed, as a concern to support on our part. We hope that the shipping and logistics companies understand that it is worthwhile to promote and support this project,” the diplomat added. “We promote it as a state policy. Rosario is a fundamental node to achieve more connectivity in the future and we are working on it.”

Regarding the new economic situation in Argentina, Enciso admitted that the exchange rate tying the Uruguayan peso to the US dollar and then to the Argentina peso “has been adjusted,” which in the past led Uruguayans to do their shopping across the border to the detriment of their local businesses. “Hopefully our beaches will be full of Argentines again and they will come back next year due to this exchange balance,” he admitted.

Enciso dubbed President Javier Milei's administration as “an open-minded, liberal government.”

“If Argentina does well, especially in these difficult times it is going through, it will be good news for the whole neighborhood, which is the region. We are betting that it will be consolidated and that the economic measures, which are always of adjustment, may bear fruit,” the ambassador also pointed out.

“There are conditions to promote investments. There is a moment of optimism regarding the business environment in both countries of openness to the world,” the diplomat noted.

(Source: La Capital - Rosario)