Uruguay highlights the role of the Brazilian Government to solve dairy conflict

The Minister of Economy and Finance of Uruguay, Danilo Astori, today highlighted the "rapid intervention" of the Brazilian Government to restore the entry of milk and its derivatives to their country from Uruguay.

Montevideo, Nov. 7 (EFE) .- The Minister of Economy and Finance of Uruguay, Danilo Astori, today highlighted the "rapid intervention" of the Brazilian Government to re-establish the entry of milk and its derivatives to his country from Uruguay.

"I thought it was something so absurd what happened, so contradictory with the spirit of a free trade zone that was born in 1991 (...) and Now that this decision has been made, which has prompted a quick intervention by the Brazilian government that needs to be assessed, I feel calm, "said Astori.

The event emerged on the 10th of October. October when the Brazilian government presided by Michel Temer announced the provisional suspension of Uruguay's milk import licenses due to the suspicion that the neighboring country resold products imported into Brazilian territory.

The triangulation was denied by the Uruguayan authorities and even the president of Uruguay, Tabaré Vázquez, received a called on October 13 from his Brazilian counterpart, to whom he explained the situation and assured him that Uruguay did not sell milk in Brazil.

Last week a technical delegation from Brazil he visited Uruguay to check how the milk is produced in the country and check that there are no irregularities.

Specifically, last Monday the Minister of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries of Uruguay, Tabaré Aguerre, announced that normal procedures for the importation of milk and its derivatives from Uruguay have been resumed.

"I could not believe what I was Moreover, what represents Uruguayan production in the Brazilian market made this situation even more absurd, "stressed Astori.

In this regard, the holder of the portfolio of Economy pointed out that this is one of the "internal problems" that Mercosur has and is an example of "restrictions that appear every so often" and the best way to solve them is that the Mercosur makes agreements with other blocks.

"Agreements with other blocs, help to overcome the internal problems that Mercosur may have, are fundamental for these problems to happen to a second plane and go to the forefront that block-to-block exchanges must really have ", said Astori.

He also said that this is one of the reasons why he has defended them. "with great force" the need for an agreement between Mercosur and the European Union and stressed that they were never "as close as now" to be able to achieve it.