Prime Minister Han Duck-soo (right), on a visit to Uruguay to mark the 60th anniversary of bilateral ties, on Oct. 12 walks toward the statue of the Uruguayan pro-independence hero Jose Gervasio Artigas at Plaza Independencia in Montevideo to lay a wreath.  

By Kim Hyelin
Photos = Yonhap News

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, on an official visit to Uruguay, on Oct. 12 held talks with Uruguayan President Luis Lacalle Pou on cooperation in business and trade including negotiations on the Korea-Mercosur (Southern Common Market) trade agreement. 

After his talks with President Lacalle at the presidential palace in Montevideo, the prime minister met with Uruguayan cabinet members including the minister of industry, energy and mining at Santos Palace. They discussed bilateral ties, cooperation in economy and trade and in the international arena, according to the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In his meeting with the Uruguayan leader, the prime minister said, "Uruguay and Korea have steadily expanded substantial cooperation as leading democratic countries in Latin America and Asia, respectively, pursuing an open economy," adding, "I ask for President Lacalle's interest in and support for negotiations on the Korea-Mercosur trade agreement so that it can see progress."

Mercosur is a South American trading bloc comprising four Latin American countries -- Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. As the largest economic bloc in the region, the group has a combined population equal to 45% (295 million) of that of the continent and its GDP last year was an estimated USD 3.4 trillion, or 62% of Latin America's. 

Uruguay is the bloc's chair country for the second half of this year and coordinator of the trade negotiations.

Thanks to the prime minister's visit, Seoul and Montevideo signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on cooperation in maritime science resources. The agreement includes collaboration in the processing, sanitation and safety of marine products as well as the marine environment. 

Earlier on Oct. 11, Prime Minister Han visited Chile for talks with Chilean President Gabriel Boric Font and signed an MOU on mineral cooperation. "This will be very helpful in responding to the Inflation Reduction Act of the U.S.," the prime minister said. "Cooperation in minerals is extremely necessary at the level of economic security."

Chile has the world's largest reserves of the strategic mineral lithium and is the world's second largest producer of it. Signed by the Korea Mine Rehabilitation and Mineral Resources Corp. and its Chilean counterpart, the MOU mentions joint research and development efforts like for bilateral projects for exploration and development of key minerals such as lithium and modernization of smelting factories.

Prime Minister Han and the Chilean leader agreed to upgrade bilateral relations to the level of a "strategic partnership" for the first time in 18 years from a "comprehensive cooperative partnership." They also pledged to resume within this year talks on improving their bilateral free trade agreement.

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo (left) and Chilean President Gabriel Boric Font on Oct. 11 pose for photos at the presidential palace in Santiago, Chile.

kimhyelin211@korea.kr