Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Uruguayan businessmen seek to extend commercial links with Malvinas

Uruguayan businessmen look to extend their commercial ties to the Malvinas Islands as the head of the British Chambers of Commerce in Uruguay, Guillermo Wild confirmed to the BuenosAiresHerald.com that a Uruguayan trade mission should arrive to the islands within the next days to explore business opportunities.

However, Wild denied the mission being part of a official governmental initiative. According to the British official, Uruguayan businessmen had already visited the South Atlantic archipelago last month seeking for "new opportunities and alternative markets hit by importation restrictions.”

“There is no official commercial embargo in effect,” Wild explained as he assured there was no legal impediment for the trade between Uruguay and the disputed territory.

Earlier, British tabloid The Sun said Uruguay was “helping” Malvinas islanders to cope with an alleged Argentine “economic blockade.”

“Argentina's neighbouring country is offering to fly bottled water and freight into the British outpost”, The British tabloid published today.

Likewise, the newspaper says that President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner’s push for a Mercosur embargo of all Malvinas flagged ships was creating an economic blockage to the islands.

Uruguay´s Foreign Ministry denied being informed of the commercial mission or being contacted by the Argentine government on regards this matter. 

According to the Sun, a Uruguayan airline offered to fly a cargo plane to the islands in two weeks.