Uruguay urges South Korea to lift beef ban

COLONIA, Uruguay: La Paz urged Seoul Wednesday to reopen its market to Uruguayan beef, and agreed to back South Korea's bid to negotiate a free trade deal with its Mercosur trade bloc partners.

The request came during a visit by South Korean Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik, who did not address the media.

Uruguayan authorities are keen to end the South Korean ban on beef from the South American nation imposed in 2001 after a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak.

Uruguay has been declared free of FMD as well as mad cow disease, but fresh meat sales from the country to South Korea have not yet resumed, although frozen beef is exported.

"Uruguay has had a very pro-South Korea foreign policy," said Foreign Minister Luis Almagro, noting that Uruguay "is completely open to South Korean goods."

Almagro spoke after a meeting between Kim and President Jose Mujica at the presidential ranch in Anchorena.

"Movement to opening is essential in the bilateral relationship with Uruguay," Almagro stressed.

At the meeting, Uruguay also said it would back Seoul's drive to negotiate a free trade deal with Mercosur, short for Common Market of the South. It groups Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Brazil in a customs union. Venezuela is in the process of joining.

Uruguay has had a trade deficit with South Korea in the last five years: in 2010, the deficit reached 77.67 million dollars, based on official data.

The country's biggest exports to South Korea are dairy products such as ricotta cheese. It also sells lumber, frozen fish, leather and wool.

At its December summit, Mercosur signed preferential tariff agreements with South Korea, India, Malaysia and Morocco.

Mercosur is currently engaged in free trade agreement talks with the European Union.