Uruguay

• Thursday, January 18th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Uruguay/US sign TIFA agreement next week

  Uruguay and United States will sign next week a trade and investment agreement to strengthen and diversify bilateral trade relations announced in Washington John Veroneau, deputy chief of the US Trade Representative Office.

• Thursday, January 18th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Growing complaints about Buquebus ferry service

  

  Hundreds of passengers waiting to travel on the ferry shuttle between Buenos Aires and Montevideo suffered this week unexpected delays because of lack of vessels and stricter migration regulations for minors, admitted Buquebus, the company which has a virtual monopoly of the River Plate crossings.

• Wednesday, January 17th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Argentine tourism in Uruguay drops 20% in first fortnight

  

  Uruguay's Deputy Tourism Minister Lilian Kechiciahn revealed that in the first fortnight of 2007 the number of Argentine tourists traveling to Uruguay dropped 20% compared to a year ago, mainly because of the ongoing controversy over the construction of the Finnish Botnia-Orion pulp mill.

• Tuesday, January 16th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Pulp mills dispute: Botnia willing to sit and discuss

  Finland's Botnia is willing to sit and discuss with Argentina and Uruguay a negotiated solution to the controversy over the building of a pull mill in Uruguay which Argentina argues will be highly contaminating.

• Saturday, January 6th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Ambitious project to recover Uruguay's flag carrier

  

  The international investment group which is capitalizing Uruguay's flag air carrier PLUNA plans to balance the deficit ridden company by the end of this year with a five to six months “restructuring plan” to be implemented once the incorporation of the group is signed at the end of January.

• Wednesday, January 3rd 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Uruguayan authorities forecast 4.6% growth in 2007

  

  Uruguay's Minister of Economy Danilo Astori announced Wednesday the country's economy would expand 4.6% in 2007, after having finished the third year running of expansion above the region's average.

• Tuesday, December 26th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Uruguay's recovery “has exceeded all expectations”

  

  The recovery of the Uruguayan economy from the 2002 crisis “has exceeded all expectations” but continued efforts are needed “to entrench macroeconomic stability, deepen structural reforms and reduce vulnerabilities”, reports the IMF in the last reviews of a stand by arrangement with Uruguay.

• Sunday, December 24th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Moody's improves Uruguay's rating but vulnerabilities remain

  Moody's Investors Service upgraded the foreign- and local-currency bond ratings of Uruguay to B1 from B3 following a steady improvement in fiscal performance, a reduction in external and government debt ratios, and a significant reduction of refinancing risks.

• Thursday, December 21st 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Uruguay ratifies support for Spain's “facilitating” efforts

  

  Uruguay denied Wednesday it had rejected Spanish King Juan Carlos' “facilitating” efforts, following press reports in Buenos Aires attacking Uruguay for allegedly having desisted of the royal support to reestablish dialogue in the pulp mills controversy.

• Wednesday, December 20th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  World Bank loan to ensure Uruguay's free of FAM status

  The World Bank's Board of Executive Directors approved Tuesday a 6.5 million US dollars loan for Uruguay to support the Foot and Mouth Disease Emergency Recovery Project and create a full-coverage livestock tracking system in order to keep the country virus-free and minimize economic losses.