HÀ NỘI — The Oriental Republic of Uruguay is celebrating 194 years of independence, recalling August 25, 1925, when our representatives met to decide the future of the nation in a show of self-determination and courage.

The essential values ​​that have distinguished and characterised our people in their way of thinking and acting are still present today and we can proudly say that Uruguay is a pioneer in matters of interest to the entire international community despite its geographical location and its population of barely 3.5 million inhabitants.

The world has changed a lot since 1825 and Uruguay has been accompanying those changes. That is why today, the international agenda of our country includes the defence of the values ​​that ensure the future of all. In the twenty-first century we should speak openly about transnational issues such as the defence of the environment, the rights of citizens and migrants, the protection of diversity and the good use of technology to improve people's lives.

In addition, entering the second decade of this century of discovery, Uruguay stands out for maintaining a balance between environmental protection and production applying modern technologies to the country's growth.

Uruguay has traditionally excelled in livestock production, in dairy and, as everyone knows, in football – that is a part of our identity and a national brand. In the last decade, our country also has added other values ​​such as software, an industry that is constantly expanding in our country.

There are already around 700 technology companies in Uruguay and many of them export software to 52 different markets. That makes Uruguay the leading exporter of software per capita in South America and the third in the world. In addition, it is the number one banking software exporter in Latin America.

Another issue to note is that as with Việt Nam, Uruguay is a regional logistics centre thanks to its natural port, but also for being a leader in communications according to the ranking of the Communication Development Index. This is in addition to an excellent communications infrastructure.

Under the Uruguay Natural Seal, the country develops without forgetting that nature and well-being of citizens are its main treasures to protect. As examples of this, we highlight that 95 per cent of the energy produced is renewable thanks to modern wind energy fields, making Uruguay a world leader in wind energy production.

In addition, Uruguay is the number one country in connectivity in Latin America and has been implementing the Ceibal Plan for more than 15 years, which allows every child in the country to have a computer with sufficient tools to learn languages, science, computing and be connected to the world. In this way, Uruguay has shortened the technological gap in the country.

The quality of the food produced by our country is another highlight. Uruguay produces food for about 30 million people and expects to produce for about 50 million in the near future. In order to maintain international confidence, the country aims for product excellence. That is why we emphasise that our meat has a total traceability regime that allows us to know the whole life of our 11 million cows from birth until the product reaches our table.

This year we celebrate once again the strengthening of our ties with Việt Nam with the presence of the Vice Chancellor of the Republic, Ariel Bergamino. His visit to Việt Nam is a sign of our friendship and the confidence we have in continuing to work together. — VNS