Residents from Gualeguaychú, Argentina confirmed that on Sunday they will attempt crossing an international bridge to Uruguay to protest the production expansion of the pulp mill Botnia/UPM, authorized by the government of President Jose Mujica. This despite the fact Uruguayan officials anticipated that at the most “eight or nine” Argentine officials and representatives from the protestors will be allowed to meet with their Uruguayan counterparts to discuss the situation.
The IMF raised its 2013 economic growth forecast for Uruguay, but lowered its estimates for 2014, saying growth had moderated to a more sustainable pace after a decade of strong expansion.
Brazil’s state-run oil company Petrobras approved the sale of the company's stake in two oil prospects in Uruguay's Punta del Oeste Basin to Royal Dutch Shell Plc for 17 million dollars, according to a filing late on Friday. The two prospects are identified as Blocks 3 and 4.
Uruguay’s latest soybean crop was the highest in history, 2.76 million tons with an increase in the area planted and in yields according to the latest survey from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock. The area dedicated to soybean climbed 20% and reached 1.049.000 hectares.
Uruguay’s consumer inflation soared 1.36% over August in September boosted by increases in energy and fuel, transport, milk and other basic items, according to the latest release from INE, the government’s data office. This means inflation in the last twelve months climbed to 9.02% from a month ago (8.86%) and 8.2% in the first nine months of 2013.
Singapore has signed a new Open Skies Agreement with Uruguay. The agreement allows designated airlines to fly between both countries and it is more liberal than conventional ones, said the Singapore Ministry of Transport in a statement on Wednesday.
Foreign Minister Héctor Timerman has confirmed that Argentina will go before the international court of justice at The Hague over the decision of Uruguayan president José Mujica, who on Wednesday authorised increased production at the UPM (ex-Botnia) paper plant.
Argentine President Cristina Fernández met on Monday with her Uruguayan counterpart José Mujica after the pair inaugurated a new vessel belonging to the ferry company Buquebús, (which joins Montevideo with Buenos Aires), in order to discuss matters related to the controversial UPM pulp plant formerly known as Botnia.
Uruguay’s president Jose Mujica anticipated that his intention is to authorize the UPM pulp mill to expand production, as the Finnish company had requested, but conditioned to certain additional environmental measures, which will not be made public until talks with Argentine president Cristina Fernandez on Monday.
Uruguay “does not need money; we need talent, students that complete their formation in the US and return to Uruguay to share and invest their knowledge” president Jose Mujica told US Vice-president Jose Biden during an hour long meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.