- Rt Hon Winston Peters
Joint Declaration Uruguay - New Zealand on the occasion of the visit to Uruguay of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand
(Montevideo, March 3, 2026)
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand expressed their satisfaction with the excellent state of the bilateral relationship, highlighting that both countries maintain a strong and enduring friendship. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1962, ties have broadened and deepened, benefiting their peoples through their long-standing cooperation, which has been mutually beneficial and supported the prosperity of both nations.
Both Ministers underscored that the partnership between Uruguay and New Zealand is grounded in a deep alignment of values and a shared vision regarding the defense of multilateralism, democracy, and human rights, as well as in their openness to the world and shared character as small, open democracies, which makes Uruguay and New Zealand natural partners.
They emphasised that respect for international law and international humanitarian law constitutes an essential element for international peace and security. They reaffirmed the importance of strengthening global environmental governance, including upholding the Antarctic Treaty System that protects Antarctica as a natural reserve for peace and science.
The Ministers reaffirmed their support for upholding democracy, human rights, and the rule of law in Venezuela, and stressed the importance of the people of Venezuela determining their country's political future. Only an inclusive political process, led by Venezuelans, can lead to the sustainable restoration of democratic order in Venezuela. They reiterated the importance of releasing all persons unjustly and arbitrarily detained for political reasons and for exercising freedom of opinion and expression, a central element for laying the foundations for a genuine and constructive political dialogue.
Ministers reflected that the conflict with Iran is a complex and dangerous situation that is evolving rapidly. Both countries expressed their serious concern about further military escalation in the region and agreed that adherence to international law and respect for International Humanitarian Law, military deescalation and diplomacy is of the utmost importance.
They also emphasised their shared commitment to a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in Ukraine in line with international law, including the UN Charter in accordance with the principles of territorial integrity, sovereign equality and the peaceful settlement of disputes.
The Ministers underscored their commitment to the empowerment of women and girls, including the promotion of their full and effective participation in all spheres, and combating all forms of gender-based violence. They further reaffirmed that social cohesion, integration, and equal opportunities are fundamental pillars of democratic stability. In this context, they highlighted their determination to address all forms of discrimination and to ensure the effective promotion and protection of the rights of persons in vulnerable situations, as well as to continue coordinating positions and promoting joint initiatives in multilateral fora to consolidate more inclusive societies that respect human dignity.
In the field of international trade, and in light of a challenging global context, Uruguay and New Zealand reaffirmed their unwavering commitment to an open, inclusive, and rules-based multilateral trading system, with the World Trade Organization at its core. They underscored the fundamental role of the WTO in promoting a fair, predictable, transparent, and non-discriminatory trading environment, and highlighted the need to advance its reform process to strengthen its negotiating, dispute settlement, and monitoring functions. They also expressed their expectation of substantive progress at the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference, to be held from March 26 to 29, 2026, in Cameroon.
Both countries highlighted their joint work as founding members of the Cairns Group to promote deep and meaningful reform aimed at advancing toward a more open, equitable, and market-oriented agricultural trading system, in accordance with the mandate of Article 20 of the Agreement on Agriculture. On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the Cairns Group, they recognized its role in driving agricultural negotiations since the Uruguay Round.
In order to build prosperity through trade and economic linkages, the Ministers emphasized the importance of initiatives such as the Future of Investment and Trade Partnership (FIT-P), which promotes open, inclusive, and rules-based trade, as well as the encouragement of responsible and sustainable foreign direct investment flows. They also noted Uruguay's request to accede to the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA), and to join the Global Trade and Gender Arrangement (GTAGA), as well as its efforts to deepen engagement with the Asia-Pacific region through various negotiating frameworks.
The Government of Uruguay expressed its appreciation for the renewed confidence of New Zealand business in the conditions of the domestic market, reflected in increased business connections and investments in high value-added sectors, such as forestry and technology applied to agribusiness, including the recent opening of MonteSera's animal sera processing and export plant in the Parque de las Ciencias Free Trade Zone.
Both Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to the development of more resilient and environmentally sustainable production systems. They recalled that Uruguay and New Zealand are founding members of the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases (GRA), where they actively cooperate to reduce emissions from the agricultural sector through science, technology, and sustainable practices. They also highlighted the continued validity of the Memorandum of Cooperation on Agriculture and Livestock signed in 2019.
New Zealand and Uruguay reiterate their firm commitment to substantive and constructive progress in the negotiations of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution (INC). Both countries agreed on the need to adopt a Treaty that addresses the full life cycle of plastics. In this context, both parties reaffirmed the importance of redoubling efforts and continuing to collaborate actively for the protection of human health and the environment.
Both Ministers agreed that strengthening people-to-people ties constitutes an essential component of the bilateral relationship. In this regard, they highlighted the importance of deepening exchanges in tourism, education, science, culture, and youth, including the reciprocal nature of the Working Holiday programs.
Finally, they reaffirmed their commitment to continue working together to promote their shared interests and values, and expressed their willingness to maintain a fluid political dialogue and regular meetings, both bilaterally and in the framework of international gatherings.
