Uruguay

• Monday, April 2nd 2012 - 09:50 UTC

  Green light for Uruguayan flight to Falklands; Argentine ambassador says it’s not commercially viable

  

  The Uruguayan government through the Ministry of Defence gave the green light to a local air cargo company, Airclass which requested authorization to make a commercial flight to the Falkland Islands sometime this month.

• Monday, April 2nd 2012 - 09:29 UTC

  UK and French companies awarded eight blocks in Uruguay’s offshore oil round

  

  UK’s BP, BG Group, London-based Tullow Oil and French oil major Total were awarded a total of eight offshore blocks in an Uruguayan bidding round and will invest 1.56 billion dollars in exploration of those areas, state energy company Ancap announced.

• Sunday, April 1st 2012 - 08:45 UTC

  Sanctions on Iran force Uruguay to propose Teheran rice for oil barter deal

  

  Uruguay will consult with Iran the possibility of exporting rice in exchange for oil, the government of President Jose Mujica said on Friday.

• Saturday, March 31st 2012 - 06:17 UTC

  Uruguay reveals the existence of an “Argentina 2020: imports substitution” plan

  

  Uruguay’ Foreign Affairs Minister Luis Almagro revealed that the government of President Cristina Fernandez is fully involved in the implementation of a plan called “Argentina 2020: substitution of imports” and therefore bilateral trade negotiations that are difficult, will continue on that same path for several years.

• Saturday, March 31st 2012 - 01:08 UTC

  US/Uruguay free trade accord, among priorities of new ambassador in Montevideo

  

  The new US ambassador in Uruguay, confirmed this week by the US Senate, expects to hold contacts with Uruguayan authorities to promote and negotiate a free trade agreement.

• Friday, March 30th 2012 - 07:54 UTC

  For Uruguay “there is not blockade of Malvinas by any country of the continent”

  

  Uruguay reiterated its full and traditional support for Argentina’s sovereignty claims over the Falklands/Malvinas Islands, but at the same time underlined that “there is no blockade to the inhabitants of the Malvinas Islands by any country of the continent”, and clearly differentiated the Cuban and Malvinas blockades.

• Friday, March 30th 2012 - 07:11 UTC

  Inflation notoriously above the target range, admits Uruguay’s central bank

  

  The Central Bank of Uruguay left its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 8.75% on Thursday, saying the current level is consistent with a restrictive monetary policy as Uruguayan authorities stubbornly battle high inflation.

• Friday, March 30th 2012 - 06:58 UTC

  Nine companies submit 19 bids to explore for oil offshore Uruguay

  

  Nine oil and gas companies have submitted 19 bids to explore for hydrocarbons off the coast of Uruguay, the state energy company Ancap said on Thursday.

• Friday, March 30th 2012 - 06:47 UTC

  Uruguay against any Falklands’ blockade; supports trade with the Islands

  

  Foreign Affairs minister Luis Almagro said that the Uruguayan government does not oppose trade with the Falkland Islands and any undertaking to that effect by the private sector is welcome since “Uruguay does not agree with any commercial or economic blockade of the Islands”.

• Thursday, March 29th 2012 - 04:05 UTC

  First Argentine invasion plan of Falklands in the sixties included shipping all Islanders to Montevideo

  

  Next week marks the 30th anniversary of the invasion of the Falkland Islands by Argentine forces which erupted into a full blown conflict with the UK that ended 74 days later with the complete unconditional surrender of the invading forces.