Uruguay’s Ambassador to India, Alberto Antonio Guani Amarilla, on Thursday welcomed New Delhi’s decision to open an embassy in Montevideo later this year, calling it a significant step in strengthening bilateral ties between the two countries.
Speaking to IANS, Amarilla said India and Uruguay were entering an important phase in their 75-year-old relationship. “India is going to open an embassy in Montevideo, probably in June, and we are expecting External Affairs Minister Jaishankar to visit Uruguay for that occasion,” he said.
At present, India’s embassy in Buenos Aires is concurrently accredited to Uruguay. Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1960. Uruguay has an embassy in New Delhi and an honorary consulate in Mumbai.
Commenting on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s global leadership, Amarilla described him as a “very influential leader” and said he had played a key role in highlighting issues faced by the Global South on international platforms. “We would like him to have a more preponderant role,” he said.
The ambassador also said Uruguay was considering easing visa norms for Indian travellers, although no formal request had been received from India. “It would be very important to facilitate the travel of Indians to Uruguay,” he said, adding that the issue could be discussed during political consultations scheduled to be held in New Delhi in March.
Amarilla reiterated Uruguay’s support for India’s bid for permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), while opposing the extension of veto powers. “We fully support India’s intention to become a permanent member, but we do not support the idea of new members retaining veto powers,” he said.
(IANS)
