Uruguay to open consulates in GBA

The South American nation of Uruguay announced that it will establish consular offices in Macau and Hong Kong by the end of 2025.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the beginning of trade relations between the two sides.

The announcement was made by Uruguay’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mario Lubetkin, during his first official visit to Macau during the weekend.

“We will have a Consulate General with two offices, one in Hong Kong and one in Macau. The aim is to implement a policy of attracting investment and promoting cultural exchanges,” Lubetkin told local media.

At a reception in Macau, Secretary for Administration and Justice André Cheong emphasized the promising trade potential between Macau and Uruguay. “As the new consulate is established, I’m confident that our relations will go further, especially in economic cooperation and personal exchanges,” Cheong said.

Cheong highlighted Macau’s role as a bridge connecting China with Portuguese- and Spanish-speaking countries and noted a new service center being built jointly by the Macau and Hengqin governments, which will offer “legal, financial, translation, and information services to facilitate trade and investment” between China and countries like Uruguay.

Lubetkin also met with Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai to discuss enhancing economic and trade cooperation, tourism promotion, and Macau’s role as a regional platform.

As cited by GCS, the CE expressed a commitment to deepening ties with Portuguese- and Spanish-speaking countries, stating, “Through deepening pragmatic cooperation with Uruguay – particularly in cultural exchange, educational ties, tourism development, economic and trade engagement, and technological innovation – we aim to establish a multi-level cooperation framework to achieve collaborative development.” Nadia Shaw