Headed by President Luis Lacalle Pou, the official ceremony of Uruguay's national day was held at Expo Dubai 2020.

The general commissioner of Expo Dubai Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Sheikh Nahayan opened the event for Uruguay's national day at Expo Dubai 2020 highlighting the importance of participating in this global event, pointing out the country as an example in sustainability to Latin America and the world and thanking the Uruguayan president Luis Lacalle Pou as well as the director of Uruguay XXI and curator of the pavilion, Sebastian Risso.

He also emphasized the importance of Uruguay's presence in the pavilion, as the country has become a world reference in terms of renewable energies, agro-intelligence, technological innovation and digital government.

Then, President Luis Lacalle Pou thanked those present, the participating ministries, the Uruguayan ambassadors as well as the national businessmen who left their work in the country to accompany the delegation. The President was accompanied by Mrs. Lorena Ponce de León, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Francisco Bustillo, the Minister of Economy and Finance, Ms. Azucena Arbeleche, the Minister of Industry, Energy and Mining, Mr. Omar Paganini, the Minister of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries, Mr. Fernando Mattos, the Minister of Tourism, Mr. Tabaré Viera, and the Director and Deputy Director of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, Ms. Azucena Arbeleche, the Minister of Industry, Energy and Mining, Mr. Omar Paganini. Also, the executive director and deputy director Sebastián Risso and Inés Bonicelli, respectively, of the investment, export and country image promotion agency, Uruguay XXI.

He then emphasized the significance of the horse present in our national coat of arms, so important for the Emirati region. "The horse means freedom, and freedom for Uruguayans is a very precious asset," he said. He highlights Uruguay as a great nation of great traditions, with a vast cumulative process through the years with the same common thread, freedom.

"Uruguay is willing to offer the world the necessary elements to be free, because you are not free if you do not have food, you are not free if you do not have peaceful relations, you are not free if you do not have the capacity to generate state-of-the-art technology, you are not free if you do not have the possibility to move".Luis Lacalle Pou highlighted the environmental component linked to the economic component and the relations that have been established in that sense and that the country has made a leading edge in its environmental commitment, as well as in its food security.

He concluded that Uruguay is making its best human capital and its best historical tradition available at the Expo.

Afterwards, different artistic presentations took place and those present were able to enjoy the show Suite Gardel and a tribute to the 100th anniversary of La Cumparsita, the most famous tango in the world.

On February 22, Uruguay XXI will hold a country presentation and business networking event with Emirati counterparts. On the same day in the morning there will be a meeting that will include the signing of a document of understanding between the National Chamber of Commerce and Services of Uruguay and the Dubai Chamber. Both events will have as keynote speaker the Minister of Economy and Finance, Azucena Arbeleche. The day will end with a reception hosted by HSBC Bank.

Uruguay will participate until March 31 in Expo Dubai, a universal exhibition that brings together more than 200 participants, including countries, multilateral organizations, companies and educational institutions. Uruguay will be presented there as a business center in South America and a reference in agro-intelligent production, technologies and clean energies. Under the slogan "Test Uruguay", it invites attendees to learn first-hand about its essentially innovative character, with qualified talent and open doors for those who choose it to live, work and invest.

There, in addition to the first class networking, guests will be able to taste a cocktail with cheese, meat, rice and Uruguayan wines of superior quality.

Accompanying and supporting this mission are Bodega Garzón, the National Meat Institute (INAC), Conaprole, the Technological Laboratory of Uruguay (LATU), the National Institute of Viticulture (INAVI), ANTEL, Banco República Oriental del Uruguay, UTE and the rice agro-industrial company, COOPAR.