MONTEVIDEO.- Uruguayan President Luis Lacalle Pou announced today that he managed to close an agreement on a feasibility study with China to begin formal negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), and that he has already informed the leaders of local political parties and Mercosur partner governments.The warnings from Argentina did not matter, the coldness of Brazil did not stop him, nor did the dynamic of pressure on geopolitics and the incidence in the region of the second world economic power stop him: the Uruguayan president decided to speed up the trade agreement with the People's Republic of China and move in that direction.Lacalle Pou recalled that previous governments had tried the same, alluding to the liberal Colorado Jorge Batlle, the Frente Amplio socialist Tabaré Vázquez and the Frontista and Tupamaro José Mujica.He highlighted this to show that there has been a coincidence in the objective but a difference in the achievements, and showed his satisfaction at having obtained the green light from the president of China, Xi Jinping, for an agreement that generates controversy in the region.Can Uruguay, being a full member of Mercosur, negotiate a free trade agreement with a country outside the region, on its own behalf, and without the permission of the bloc's partners?Lacalle Pou's government clings to the documents that, in his opinion, show that the customs union does not work as such and that the country can advance in talks and close agreements.The announcement was made this afternoon at the Government House together with Foreign Minister Francisco Bustillo and the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carolina Ache Batlle.Last year, Lacalle Pou had summoned all the political parties with parliamentary representation to report that he had received "a formal response" from the Chinese government, through a letter from the ambassador to Uruguay, Wang Gang.On September 7, 2021, the president read the message indicating China's willingness to "advance an FTA" between the two countries, first by conducting a "feasibility study."And he added the letter from the Chinese government: "We highly appreciate and welcome the proposal of the Uruguayan side to start negotiations for an FTA between the two countries."“You know that since the government took office we have had a foreign relations policy of linking with the world with a clearly open-minded vocation.We belong to Mercosur, but we have insisted that Uruguay has to open up to the world and establish all kinds of agreements with different nations”, said Lacalle Pou when announcing this new stage of negotiations.“We want to report that what began in September 2021, which was the joint feasibility agreement with China, has concluded and with satisfaction we can say that it is positive, that we have reached an agreement that is beneficial for both countries, now we can formally start to a Free Trade Agreement”, added the president.He said that "the government's vigilance is to sell, market the country's products and technology," and that with "an exhaustive analysis," which is not "whimsical," they concluded how beneficial an FTA between Uruguay and China and that is why "in the next few days, in contact with the Chinese government teams, they will start talks for the FTA."Lacalle Pou hopes to advance in other similar agreements with other countries.“This encouraging news will not be the only one”, said the President of Uruguay.Copyright 2022 SA THE NATION |All rights reservedDownload the application of LA NACION.It is fast and light.Do you want to receive alert notifications?A connection error has occurred