Uruguay plans to participate in St. Petersburg International Economic Forum

Uruguay’s ambassador to Russia, Daniel Castillos, assured that his country plans to participate in the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on June 14-17.

“I, as ambassador, am going to be participating, and the Embassy is going to be present because there is a significant business and entrepreneurial dialogue between Russia and Latin America, in which we are interested in being present,” the ambassador commented to Sputnik.

Castillos stressed that Uruguay attaches great importance and relevance to the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

“We consider it a platform for interaction and promotion (…) Uruguay has participated in previous editions,” he emphasized.

He said, “we are working with our capital city to see if it is possible to participate either in person or virtually from Montevideo”.

“One of the possibilities is that they can participate; we have an export and investment promotion agency called Uruguay XXI (…) We are going to see if we can arrange for their participation in the forum”, he told Sputnik.

WINE AND HONEY EXPORTS TO RUSSIA

Uruguay would like to export wine and honey to Russia because they are areas with significant export potential, Castillos declared.

“We want to try to make the most of the opportunities offered… In the case of wine, for example. Russia had traditional suppliers coming from Europe. But now, those suppliers no longer send their products due to the current situation… Russia is looking for new suppliers…” said the diplomat.

He also said that in Uruguay, many family wineries have excellent export potential.

JOINT RESEARCH IN ANTARCTICA

Uruguay seeks to develop joint research projects with Russia in Antarctica, the ambassador of the South American country assured Sputnik.

“What we want to promote is the development of joint research projects on issues related to the environment, climate, and biodiversity,” he said.

The head of the Uruguayan diplomatic mission pointed out that Russia and Uruguay are full members of the Antarctic Treaty, stressing that his country has “transformed its presence on the Antarctic continent by giving high priority to the issue of research and care for the environment.”

“One of Russia’s bases in the Antarctic, the Bellingshausen base, is five kilometers from the Artigas base, which is the base that Uruguay has (…) Due to the proximity, there is a very close and fluid exchange at the level of scientists, at the technical level,” he said.

Castillos pointed out that some scientists from the prestigious Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute of St. Petersburg maintain informal contact with their Uruguayan counterparts.

“But what interests us is to see if we can consolidate these projects and achieve the closest possible cooperation, precisely with a view to the development of science,” he added.