QUESTION: On the eve of the Russian visit by Uruguayan Vice President Juis Heirro Lopez on June 29th-July 2nd, could you please comment on the current relations between Russia and Uruguay and prospects for their development?

ANSWER: Russo-Uruguayan cooperation is on the rise. The level of political contacts has grown of late. Last year Uruguayan Foreign Minister Didier Opertti made an official visit to Russia. The agenda of the last 6 months of 2002 includes Russian visits by Uruguay's Defence Minister Luis Brezzo, Culture Minister Antonio Mercader and President of the Supreme Court of Justice G. Guillot. A State Duma delegation headed by Speaker Gennady Seleznev is due to visit Uruguay in November.

The closeness or similarity of the positions of Russia and Uruguay on the key international and regional problems, including the fight against terrorism and drug trafficking, the settlement of conflicts in hot-spots and the need to reform the system of modern international economic relations give a boost to the political dialogue. Montevideo is actively supporting the establishment of direct contacts between Russia and MERCOSUR, an influential association in Latin America.

Contacts in the spheres of science, technology, culture and other spheres are expanding, the legal-contractual base is developing.

The agenda of the Russian visit by Chairman of the General Assembly and Senate and Vice President of Uruguay Luis Hierro Lopez also includes meetings with the Speakers of both houses of the Russian Federation Council, Sergei Mironov and Gennady Seleznev, deputy prime minister Alexei Gordeyev, Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov. To crown their meeting, Igor Ivanov and Luis Lopez are expected to sign a bilateral agreement on cooperation in the fight against drug-trafficking and exchange notes on the prolongation of the intergovernmental agreement on air communication.

QUESTION: How is the economic component of Russo-Uruguayan cooperation developing?

ANSWER: Trade-economic cooperation is gathering pace. For example, as a result of the abolishment of sanitary limitations on Uruguayan imports of the bulk of meat products, Russia has for the first time over the past five years bought a large consignment of beef from the country. In its turn, Russian companies are showing a great interest in the Uruguayan market. Moscow expects that a number of economic projects involving Russian enterprises will be implemented.