Oleh/By : DATO' SERI DR. MAHATHIR BIN MOHAMAD
Tempat/Venue : MONTEVIDEO, URUGUAY
Tarikh/Date : 01/10/97
Tajuk/Title : THE OFFICIAL DINNER HOSTED BY H.E.
PRESIDENT JULIO MARIA SANGUINETTI
PRESIDENT OF THE ORIENTAL REPUBLIC
OF URUGUAY
1. It is a great pleasure to be back in Uruguay. Please
allow me to express our appreciation for your warm welcome
and hospitality.
2. I am happy to note that the relationship between our
two countries has grown significantly over the last few
years. There have been a number of high level exchanges
of visits between our two countries. Trade, though still
small, has grown. Certainly your visit to Malaysia last
year marks a milestone in our relations. I am happy to
see how two countries separated by vast distances, having
a different history and culture, can come together to
forge a common bond of friendship and co-operation.
3. However, we still have a long way to go to forge the
kind of economic relationship that I know we both want to
see take shape. This is a slow process especially as it
is very dependent on the actions of our respective private
sectors. Each of our governments can provide the
appropriate legal and administrative framework conducive
to trade and economic co-operation. This is now in place,
but the real task of building a solid economic
relationship must rest with the private sector. Let me
assure you, Mr. President, that I am determined to
encourage and support the Malaysian private sector
involved in Uruguay so as to try to the full extent of its
capabilities. It is with this in mind that I have brought
along with me Malaysian businessmen on this visit.
4. Let me say Mr. President, that there might be
mistakes. There might be delays. We are after all quite
new to this region. We do not have a hundred years of
experience of trading and investing in this region as some
others do and so we are in the process of learning about
doing business in your country. But I am confident that
the Malaysian private sector will bring to our relations
the same tenacity and resourcefulness that helped them to
transform the Malaysian economy into a powerhouse in Asia.
5. Together with the members of the Malaysian private
sector delegation, I look forward to meeting with
representatives of the Uruguayan private sector. I hope
we can have an exchange of ideas of how and what we can do
to enhance our trade and economic co-operation. Due to
its central location within MERCOSUR, good communications
and other infrastructure, Uruguay is ideally placed to
offer investors and entrepreneurs from East Asia
opportunities to tap a market that goes well beyond its
borders. As Uruguay is presently Secretary Pro Tempore
for MERCOSUR, it is perhaps fitting for us to look at the
MERCOSUR market from this perspective.
6. I am happy to note that ASEAN and MERCOSUR have begun
consultations to find ways to strengthen co-operation and
economic interaction. I firmly hope that such
consultations will eventually lead to closer links between
these two regional groupings. We have much to offer each
other in terms of technology, market complementarity,
support and co-ordination at the international level on
issues of common concern. I also believe that closer
links and interactions between regions will help keep the
global trading system from dividing into exclusive trading
blocks. This is important as there are those who have a
tendency to think only in terms of backyards, who only see
other regions as markets to be exploited, controlled and
brought into its own fold. The world has become much too
small for us to retreat behind closed economic blocks led
by powerful leaders who dictate terms to the rest of us.
It is my hope therefore that MERCOSUR and ASEAN will play
a historic role in helping to build bridges of trade,
economic co-operation and mutual support between Latin
America and Asia.
7. Before I conclude, please allow me once again to
express to you and the government and people of Uruguay my
appreciation for the warm and generous hospitality
extended to us during this visit.
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