NDB President Dilma Rousseff extended an invitation to Uruguay to join the bank during her meeting with Uruguayan President-elect Yamandú Orsi on Friday.
Orsi announced the possibility of exploring the proposal and praised the organization’s “potential.” “It’s a complex world that changes quickly, we must not miss any opportunity for resources, financing or support,” he said, and stressed that “We cannot miss that movie.” He also clarified that the issue of the bank “has nothing to do with whether or not to join the BRICS (…) Uruguay is not in [the group] and will not be,” Orsi said.
Rousseff said that the incorporation of Uruguay would be strategic for the NDB, which could benefit from loans in infrastructure, logistics, access to technologies and to face climate change, among other areas.
Orsi considered that “the infrastructure issue in Latin America requires the support of all these entities” and added that “We must explore everything, we cannot waste anything. We have to talk with the IDB, the CAF, Fonplata, etc.”
According to Roussef, the Board of Governors has already given the go-ahead for the incorporation of Uruguay, although this depends on the political will and approval of the Uruguayan Parliament.
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