Uruguay and Argentina, and their cabinets will be meeting this Monday in Buenos Aires to address a bilateral agenda, which was agreed long before hand, but the real issue will not necessarily be trade, dredging canals, pulp mills, customs or facilitating people's movement, but rather the negotiations for a free trade agreement which supposedly Uruguay is about to begin discussing with China.
Uruguay figures among the ten best national teams in the world according to the FIFA rating and has players in some of the top European teams, but back home things are quite different: a Sunday first league match was suspended at half time following shootings among hooligan gangs in one of the stadium's toilets, according to the first official reports.
Uruguay is expecting some 150 cruise calls this coming season 2016/17 which begins next month and represents some 300.000 visitors, according to Tourism minister Liliam Kechichian who nevertheless admitted that growth prospects are somehow behind schedule because of the high costs of reaching and operating in the port of Buenos Aires.
Tensions inside Mercosur can be attributed to the fact that Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay share a development economic model which distances them from Venezuela, and are prepared to advance in trade negotiations with the European Union, and even with the Pacific Alliance. Venezuela on the other hand has as its main priority putting the deteriorated economy back on the growth track, according to the UN regional economic commission ECLAC, chair Alicia Barcena.
Two Uruguayan young scientists are on board Ice Patrol HMS Protector en route to the Falkland Islands and Antarctica and will be participating in a research program on human impact on the Antarctic marine environment including pollution mainly by plastic made products. Federico Weinstein and Carolina Rodríguez belong to the Faculty of Sciences and represent the resumption of long standing links between the Ice Patrol and Montevideo.
This Sunday, October 2nd, ends the deadline to participate in the regional competition sponsored by the Falkland Islands government and the UK embassies in Uruguay, Brazil and Chile addressing the issue, “Why would I like to meet my neighbors from the Falkland Islands?” The competition is open to university students from the three countries and the prize is a weeklong trip to the Falkland Islands with all expenses paid.
Addressing the United Nations General Assembly, Uruguay’s President Tabare Vazquez on Tuesday warned against non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular ailments, cancer, diabetes and chronic pulmonary pathologies, which he said are the main causes of death particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
President Tabare Vazquez confirmed on Monday that Uruguay will continue as “coordinator” of discussions between Mercosur and the European Union to reach a wide ranging trade agreement.
A delegation of British MPs are visiting Uruguay to attend the ninth plenary session of the Euro-Lat American Assembly which is taking place this week at the country´s Parliament house. The group includes Nigel Evans, Mark Menzies and Graham Stuart from the ruling Conservative party and Lindsay Hoyle and Lord Howarth of Newport from opposition Labour.
The Mercosur controversy has moved to New York far away from the spotlights of regional media, since the presidents of the four founding members are scheduled to address the UN General Assembly this week, and are expected to hold a series of meetings on the sidelines of the major global event.