PM meeting with President Lacalle Pou of Uruguay: 23 May 2022
Prime Minister Boris Johnson welcomed the President of Uruguay, Luis Lacalle Pou, to Downing Street.
The Prime Minister welcomed the President of Uruguay, Luis Lacalle Pou, to Downing Street today.
The leaders welcomed the deep alignment between the United Kingdom and Uruguay across a range of issues, from free trade to belief in democratic values and civil liberty. At a time of rising global food prices and energy insecurity, the Prime Minister highlighted the huge opportunities offered by Uruguay’s leading agricultural production and renewable energy use.
The Prime Minister and President Lacalle Pou committed to take immediate steps to reduce trade barriers between our two countries, intensifying trade and investment in industries including pharmaceuticals and IT software. They also pledged to foster increased private sector investment in green finance and green energy.
On security, the leaders agreed to boost defence cooperation, including defence procurement, in support of regional and international security. The Prime Minister welcomed Uruguay’s strong stance on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and they expressed their admiration for the bravery of Ukraine’s armed forces.
The Prime Minister thanked the President for visiting London and looked forward to driving forward the UK-Uruguay partnership, as we recover from the pandemic and work together to address global challenges.