PH Embassy Leads ASEAN Committee in Historic Official Visit to Montevideo, Uruguay  

Left photo: Ambassador Linglingay F. Lacanlale ( extreme left)  as Chair of the ASEAN Committee in Buenos Aires (ACBA), led a delegation composed of the Ambassadors of Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, in the Committee’s first official visit to Montevideo, Uruguay on 10 to 12 November 2021. Right Photo: Ambassador Lacanlale (center) at the Catholic University of Uruguay where she gave a brief presentation on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the ASEAN countries and the ASEAN Governments` coordinated response towards recovery.(Photos from Buenos Aires PE)

BUENOS AIRES, 19 November 2021 –Ambassador Linglingay F. Lacanlale, as Chair of the ASEAN Committee in Buenos Aires (ACBA), led a delegation composed of the Ambassadors of Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, in the Committee’s first official visit to Montevideo, Uruguay on 10 to 12 November 2021.

The visit was the Committee’s first official engagement outside Buenos Aires since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Established in 2018, the ACBA is tasked with the promotion of ASEAN interests in  Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia.

The visit was organized by the MERCOSUR – ASEAN Chamber of Commerce, an influential business chamber in Latin America, dedicated to promoting economic relations between MERCOSUR and ASEAN countries. The Ambassadors’ programme included a meeting with Uruguay Foreign Minister Francisco Bustillo; a speaking engagement at the Universidad Catolica del Uruguay, one of the country’s top educational institutions; meetings with various high officials, and visits to important companies and free trade zones.

In his address to the Ambassadors, Foreign Minister Bustillo, spoke on the need to further deepen engagement between ASEAN and Uruguay, especially through trade, noting as well the importance of finding synergies and complementarities in other economic areas that would allow mutual growth.

In her remarks at the Catholic University of Uruguay, Ambassador Lacanlale gave a brief presentation on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the ASEAN countries and the ASEAN Governments` coordinated response towards recovery. She highlighted the importance of cooperation not only with ASEAN but also with multilateral partners in overcoming the adverse effects of the present pandemic and future crises as well as in restoring the health of the region's economy. She spoke about ASEAN’s potential to be a major player in the global economy given the size of its population and its economy. Ambassador Lacanle cited the initiative of ASEAN in the creation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) which is the largest economic free trade bloc in Asia.

Ambassador Lacanlale also suggested that Uruguay consider acceding to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC), noting that Argentina and Brazil have already done so within MERCOSUR. From there, Uruguay can gradually advance its partnership with ASEAN.

In addition to these engagements, the Committee also visited a number of local businesses which have been implementing innovative, trail-blazing practices in their operations and management. These companies include Megalabs, a pharmaceuticals company whose workers are 80% women; Microsules, an animal vaccine producer that has strong interest in developing relations with Asia; Softys, a paper company producing personal hygiene products and leader in automation; and Apiter, a producer of natural health and wellness products. All of these firms are MACC – Uruguay members, and eager to expand trade relations with ASEAN.

The Ambassadors also visited Uruguay’s famous Parque de Ciencias Free Trade Zone. Considered an important part of Uruguay’s strategy to attract foreign investment.  FTZs are a tangible symbol of the country’s pragmatic and collaborative approach, having been a staple of the country for more than thirty years. Under an FTZ, foreign investors enjoy the same treatment as locals, are exempt from personal income tax, and enjoy no restrictions on capital movement.

In addition, the FTZs complement Uruguay’s strategy of positioning itself as a regional logistics and distribution hub, counting a number of important locators such as AstraZeneca, and the Argentine tech giants Globant and MercadoLibre. The latter provides similar services as Amazon.

The visit was an eye-opener in terms of revealing Uruguay as an important economic player in Latin America and a potential partner for ASEAN. It has the advantage of a highly educated population, a stable political environment and of being open and outward looking. END

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