MONTEVIDEO, July 14. /ITAR-TASS/. Uruguay is interested in trade-and economic cooperation with Russia in order to diversify its foreign trade ties, Uruguayan Vice President Danilo Astori, who is taking part in the founding assembly of the non-government Institute of Bering and Bellingshausen, told ITAR-TASS on Monday.

“I have recently paid a visit to Russia and saw for myself that there are huge possibilities for the development of ties between the two countries, for instance in the areas of trade and culture,” Astori noted. “They open a food perspective for us to diversify foreign trade relations and establish commercial contacts with new states.”

“This is what has prompted our interest to the today’s forum of the Bering and Bellingshausen Institute, which is tasked to promote cooperation between Latin America in Russia in various areas,” he stressed.

Uruguay, in his words, is interested in investments to improve its infrastructure, transport, particularly railway transport, and is ready for cooperation in the energy sector. Apart from that, he said his country is ready to expand its foreign trade ties in the areas of food procurements, pharmaceuticals and information technologies.

Within the framework of the forum, Astori met with President of Russia’s Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov. “We exchanged information about possibilities for the development of bilateral trade and economic relations, which look quite big,” the Uruguayan vice president said. The talks yielded as agreement to promptly organize meetings between the sides’ representatives “to specify areas of efficient bilateral cooperation,” Astori added.