Uruguay is looking to expand cooperation with ASEAN.

Uruguayan Deputy Foreign Minister Valeria Csukasi affirmed the desire to expand cooperation with ASEAN countries during a recent meeting in Montevideo with ambassadors from member states of the bloc.

A meeting between Uruguayan Deputy Foreign Minister Valeria Csukasi and the Ambassadors of Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Chargé d'affaires of Malaysia was held at the Uruguayan Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters. (Source: VNA)

This was the first official meeting between representatives of the Uruguayan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ambassadors and Chargé d'affaires of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The meeting was attended by the Ambassadors of Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, and the Chargé d'affaires ad interim of Malaysia to Argentina, who is also accredited to Uruguay.

Philippine Ambassador Grace T. Cruz-Fabella, Chair of the ASEAN Committee in Argentina, on behalf of the ASEAN Chair nation in 2026, presented a letter from Philippine Foreign Minister Maria Theresa Lazaro inviting Uruguayan Foreign Minister Mario Lubetkin to attend the 50th anniversary celebration of the signing of the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) in Manila this July.

Speaking at the meeting, the Vietnamese Ambassador to Argentina and concurrently to Uruguay, Ngo Minh Nguyet, requested Uruguay to cooperate closely with Vietnam in promoting negotiations on the Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) between Vietnam and the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR). She also emphasized Vietnam's commitment to supporting Uruguay's efforts to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

Ambassador Ngo Minh Nguyet stated that Vietnam will continue to cooperate closely with Uruguay during the negotiation process, especially in 2026 when Vietnam assumes the rotating chairmanship of the CPTPP Council of Ministers.

Ambassador Ngo Minh Nguyet highly appreciated the friendly relations and good cooperation with Uruguay over the past 33 years. Political cooperation continues to be the foundation of bilateral relations, with the two countries regularly exchanging delegations and maintaining contact at various levels and through multiple channels, and having an effective political consultation mechanism between the two Ministries of Foreign Affairs. Vietnam hopes to soon welcome high-ranking Uruguayan leaders to visit Vietnam in the near future.

The Ambassador emphasized that, as two maritime nations with many common interests in upholding international law at sea and sustainable management of the seas and oceans, Vietnam proposed strengthening coordination and cooperation with Uruguay to share experiences and best practices at international organizations and forums on the seas and oceans, and requested Uruguay's support for Vietnam's candidacy at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) for the 2026-2035 term.

Ambassadors and chargés d'affaires from other ASEAN countries also spoke about bilateral relations with Uruguay.

Deputy Foreign Minister Valeria Csukasi thanked Vietnam for its support to Uruguay during the CPTPP negotiations.

Furthermore, Uruguay hopes to cooperate closely with Indonesia – the RCEP Chair in 2026 – as well as promote cooperation in non-traditional areas such as clean energy, science and technology, sustainable development, and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by the United Nations in 2015.

Deputy Minister Valeria Csukasi also stated that this year, Uruguay assumes the chairmanship of the Group of Developing Countries (G77) and will host the G77 + China Summit and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) Summit.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/uruguay-mong-muan-mo-rong-hop-tac-with-asean-388689.html