Uruguay, China agree to promote construction of Belt and Road Initiative

MONTEVIDEO - China and Uruguay have vowed to work together to promote the construction of China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), visiting Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe and Uruguayan Vice President Lucia Topolansky said in a meeting on Monday.

Topolansky, who is also president of the General Assembly and president of the Senate, said Uruguay has always attached great importance to Uruguay-China relations and admired China's development achievements.

She said developing friendly relations with China is something all Uruguans desire.

Uruguay firmly supports and is willing to actively participate in the BRI. She said Uruguay wants to continue to deepen bilateral relations with China, strengthen political, economic, trade and military ties, and push the strategic partnership between the two countries to a higher level.

For his part, Wei said China and Uruguay are good friends and good partners, and the friendship between the two countries remains profound.

China-Uruguay relations have steadily grown because of the consensus reached between the two heads of state, with exchanges and cooperation in various fields achieving remarkable results, said Wei.

The relations between the two armies have maintained good momentum and pragmatic cooperation has continued to deepen, he said.

China is willing to work together with Uruguay to actively implement the consensus of their heads of state, promote the building of a community with shared future for humanity, actively boost the construction of the BRI, and promote relations between the two countries and the two armies to continuously move forward, he added.

Wei also held formal talks with Uruguayan Defense Minister Jose Bayardi and visited some military units Monday afternoon.