Alberto Antonio Guani Amarilla, Ambassador of Uruguay to India, on Wednesday, 10 June praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his vision of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' — the world as one family — calling him a global leader whose contributions are expected to help build a better future for all nations.

Envoy's Assessment of Modi's Global Standing

Amarilla said Modi has consistently championed the cause of developing nations and maintained a strong commitment to peace on the world stage. 'Prime Minister Modi has promoted the idea of seeing the world as one family. He has consistently focused on addressing global challenges and has maintained a strong commitment to peace. I believe he has already established himself as a global leader, and many people around the world have great hopes that his contributions will help create a better future for all,' the envoy said.

Reflecting on Modi's 12 years of leadership and its impact on India's international standing, Amarilla said the Prime Minister had made a 'very significant contribution' to elevating the country's position globally, particularly by strongly championing the interests of the developing world.

India–South America Trade: A $100 Billion Target by 2030

The Uruguayan envoy pointed to Modi's visits to Brazil and Argentina last year as highly significant milestones in deepening India–South America engagement. He expressed confidence that bilateral momentum would continue to expand.

'His visits to Brazil and Argentina have been very important, and we hope such engagement continues to expand. Currently, trade between India and South America is around $50 billion, and we expect it to reach nearly $100 billion by 2030. We are confident that there is tremendous complementarity between our regions and many opportunities for cooperation. I believe this is only the beginning,' Amarilla noted.

India–Uruguay Bilateral Relations at a Turning Point

On the bilateral front, Amarilla highlighted the recent celebration of 75 years of diplomatic relations between India and Uruguay, describing the current moment as 'crucial.' He pointed to the upcoming opening of an Indian Embassy in Uruguay as a landmark development, with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar expected to attend the inauguration ceremonies.

'We are very optimistic because we have already celebrated 75 years of diplomatic relations between our two countries. At the same time, we are at a crucial moment, as India is going to open an Embassy in Uruguay. We have great expectations regarding this development,' he said.

Hopes for Presidential and PM-Level Visits

Amarilla also expressed hope for deeper engagement at the highest levels, noting that the Uruguayan President and Prime Minister Modi had met in Brazil last year. He said Uruguay was looking forward to a presidential visit to India and, potentially, a reciprocal visit by Modi to Uruguay.

'We are also looking forward to closer ties between our President and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They met in Brazil last year, and we hope there will be an opportunity for our President to visit India, as well as for Prime Minister Modi to visit Uruguay,' he added.

This comes amid a broader Indian diplomatic push to deepen ties with Latin America, a region that has historically received less strategic attention compared to India's engagements in Asia, Europe, and the United States. The opening of a dedicated embassy in Montevideo signals a recalibration of that approach.