The Executive Director of AUCI Andrea Vignolo (left) and the Uruguayan Ambassador to China Fernando Lugris Photo: Yin Yeping/GT

On the occasion of the visit of the Executive Director of the Uruguayan Agency for International Cooperation (AUCI)Andrea Vignolo to China, a press conference took place at the Uruguayan Embassy in China on July 30, during which Vignolo and the Uruguayan Ambassador to China Fernando Lugris introduced to the media the latest updates of Vignolo's visit and the situations of the bilateral cooperation between China and Uruguay.

Since China and Uruguay established diplomatic relations in 1988, bilateral relations have been developing smoothly and bilateral cooperation has been continuously strengthened. In the speech by Vignolo, she gave an example of the growing bilateral ties in the field of education and said that the scholarships provided by China to Uruguay play an important role in Uruguay's production and education. "In recent years, the two countries have launched new forms of cooperation focusing on technical training and knowledge transfer, such as bilateral seminars and athlete exchange programs," she said. According to Vignolo, in 2017, Uruguay signed an agreement to build primary schools in China, marking a new milestone in bilateral cooperation. In the same year, China officially inaugurated its first Confucius Institute in Uruguay. "The two countries will further deepen cooperation in the field of sports and bilateral seminars in the future," Vignolo noted.

The Uruguayan Ambassador to China Fernando Lugris congratulated the achievements of bilateral cooperation in various fields and indicated that there will be more opportunities for cooperation and exchange. Lugris said that as the gateway to South America, Uruguay was also the first country to sign the Belt and Road MoU with China in 2018. "Uruguay is the world's seventh largest dairy exporter," the ambassador said. "The dairy industry is an important bridge for the economic and trade cooperation between the two countries."