Kuala lumpur: Uruguay’s Foreign Minister Mario Lubetkin has called for deeper cooperation between ASEAN and the South American economic bloc, MERCOSUR, emphasizing the need to move beyond dialogue and build tangible collaboration between the two regional blocs.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, in line with Uruguay’s accession into the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) with ASEAN, Lubetkin stated that while discussions between the two regional blocs have been ongoing, a more structured and strategic approach is needed.

MERCOSUR was established in 1991 by Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay to foster economic integration and cooperation in the region. “We need to move beyond dialogue and establish concrete collaboration between ASEAN and MERCOSUR,” he said, noting that there is a growing trend of sub-regional groups seeking to create stronger synergy between our regions.

He made these remarks to Bernama on the sidelines of a bilateral meeting between the Malaysian and Uruguayan foreign ministers, in conjunction with the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) and Related Meetings. These meetings were held under Malaysia’s 2025 ASEAN chairmanship theme ‘Inclusivity and Sustainability’.

With MERCOSUR representing a market of over 300 million people, Lubetkin believes that closer ties with ASEAN could be mutually beneficial, particularly in food security, agriculture, and sustainable development. He also stressed the importance of embracing new regional dynamics in a multipolar world.

“In the past, regions like ASEAN and Latin America didn’t give much thought to working together. Now we recognize the need for greater engagement with Asia and Africa-just as you need stronger ties with Latin America. This is a relatively new realization, but one that must be translated into tangible outcomes,” he added.

The 58th AMM and Related Meetings, held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre from July 8 to 11, included 24 ministerial-level engagements and drew approximately 1,500 delegates.