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The first diplomatic agent of Uruguay in Beirut was Mr.
José Aiub Manzor, who opened the “Legation” as “Chargé
d’Affaires”.
The Diplomatic Mission was upgraded from “Legation” to
“Embassy”, by
Decree of the 5th of November 1964.
José Manzor was the first Ambassador designated.
The Consular Section of the Embassy in Lebanon was
created through the
Resolution of the Executive Power of the 23rd
of April 1974.
Later
on, another
Resolution of the Executive Power of the 7th
of February of 1995
established the Consulate in Tripoli with jurisdiction
over the North of Lebanon.
The Diplomatic Heads of Missions were successively José
Aiub Manzor, Julio César Chelala, Rodolfo Comas Amaro,
Roberto Amato, Guillermo Stewart, José Luis Vila Díaz,
Manuel Solsona Flores, Guido Yerlas, Mario Alberto Voss
Rubio, Jorge Luis Jure and since the 8th of January 2013,
Dr. Marta Inés Pizzanelli.
Mr. Abdo Chelala, who acted as Counselor in Beirut
between 1967 and 1993, took charge of the Embassy
between 1976 and 1987, (except in short periods), where
there were no diplomatic representation. Mr. Chelala
assumed diverse and recognized functions in the Embassy
acting as Counselor and Honorary Commercial Attaché
between 1967 and his passing away on February 2007.
The actual Diplomatic Secretary of the Embassy and in
charge of the Consular Section is Dr. Nicolás Rodríguez.
See list of
Ambassadors and
Consuls.
OFFICIAL
VISITS TO URUGUAY
As a relevant moment in the bilateral relations, it is
important to note the visit to Uruguay of Lebanese president
Camille Chamoun in 1954, who signed on the
31st of May of the same year, in the capital city,
Montevideo, the first treaty between both Countries: the
Cultural Agreement.
On the 20th of June 1959, the Chargé d’Affaires Mr. José
Manzor, exchanged the above mentioned
Agreement’s ratifications. Acting on behalf of Lebanon,
was then the General Secretary of the Lebanese
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Mohamed Ali Hamade.
On March
2009, the Director General of the Ministry of Culture of
Lebanon, Mr. Omar Halablab, visits Uruguay to
participate in the inauguration of the exhibition "The
Memory of Beirut" and to hold meetings with Authorities as well as
with the
Lebanese Community of Uruguay.
On Match
1st 2010, the then Lebanese Ambassador in Paraguay, H.E. Mr.
Fares Eid presided a Delegation of the Lebanese Republic
that attended the Ceremony of Transfer of Presidential
Power, during which the actual President of the
Republic, Mr. José Mujica Cordano, assumed his
functions. The referred Delegation was as well
integrated by the then Consul and Chargé d'Affaires a.i. in
Montevideo, Mr. Namir Noureddine.
OFFICIAL
VISITS TO LEBANON
- Visit of
the Deputy Minister of Foreign Relations of Uruguay:
Between
the 4th and the 5th of March 2009, the Deputy Minister
of Foreign Relations of Uruguay, Dr. Pedro Vaz Ramela,
paid a visit to Lebanon. Dr. Vaz met high Authorities of
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrated of Lebanon
and proceeded to the exchange of ratification
instruments of the Cultural Cooperation Agreement,
signed between Uruguay and Lebanon on 17/12/99. The
Uruguayan Deputy Minister initialized the Agreement
between the Oriental Republic of Uruguay and the
Lebanese Republic on Political Consultations and
Interaction of its Diplomatic Services.
- Visit of
the Uruguayan Parliamentary Delegation:
An
Uruguayan Parliamentary Delegation paid an official
visit to Lebanon between the 19th and the 22nd of
January 2011. The Delegation was headed by the President
of the Chamber of Representatives, Deputy Yvonne Passada
and was integrated by the President of the International
Affairs Commission, Deputy Rubén Martínez Huelmo, and the
other members of the Parliament Daisy Daisy Tourné,
Deputy Pablo Abdala and Deputy Daniel Bianchi Salomón, as well the
distinguished officials of the Legislative Power, Mr.
Oscar Piquinela and Mrs. Carina Galvalisi Kemayd. The
Delegation held meetings with the President of the Republic, Gral.
Michel Sleiman, the President of the Parliament, Nabih
Berry and the outgoing Prime Minister Saad Hariri. The
international situation was discussed as well as the
situation in the region, the excellent relations
between Uruguay and Lebanon and the possibility of
increasing them.
On the
occasion, a Protocol of Parliamentary Cooperation was
signed between the Lebanese National Assembly and the
Parliament of Uruguay. On behalf of the Uruguayan part,
MP Yvonne Passada signed, as the President of the
Chamber of Representatives and the President of the
Lebanese National Assembly, Mr. Nabih Berry signed on
behalf of the Lebanese part.
- Visit of
the Minister of Foreign Relations of Uruguay:
On the
11th of April 2011, the Minister of Foreign Relations of
Uruguay Dr. Luis Almagro headed a commission integrated
by H.E. Ambassador Dr. Marta Pizzanelli, Director of the Zone of
Asia, Africa and Oceania of the Ministry of Foreign
Relations in Uruguay and H.E. Dr. José Luis Remedi,
Ambassador of the Diplomatic Mission in Qatar.
The visit,
part of a tour in the Middle East,
constituted the first of an Uruguayan Minister to
the Country of the Cedars, demonstrating the importance
accorded by our Government to the relations with Lebanon
and with the Arab world. It ended with a party
meeting organized by the Embassy for the Uruguayan
nationals, the Lebanese Ministers and members of the
Parliament, as well as for the friends of this Diplomatic
Mission.
Minister
Almagro was received by the President of the Republic of
Lebanon, Gral. Michel Sleiman, the President of the
Lebanese National Assembly, Mr. Nabih Berry, as well as
the outgoing Prime Minister Saad Hariri and the actual
Primer Minister Najib Mikati.
-
Commercial Delegation presided by the Minister of
Foreign Relations of Uruguay:
On the
14th and 15th of September 2011 Minister
Dr. Luis Almagro presided the first Uruguayan commercial
mission to Lebanon that participated in the "Arab Conference on
Investments", organized by the General Union of Arab
Chambers of Commerce, as well as to the "1st Business Meeting" at the Chamber of Commerce, Industry
and Agriculture of Beirut.
On the
other hand, during this visit, Minister Almagro had the honour to
inaugurate the "Plaza de la Amistad" in Jounieh where
was installed the bust of the National Hero José Artigas
that was unveiled for this occasion.
Meetings
with high-ranked Government Authorities of Lebanon were
scheduled and presentations on the commerce and
investments in Uruguay were offered during the "Arab
Conference on Investments". In one of his two
conferences Minister Almagro was seated with a group of speakers
that included Prime Minister Najib Mikati. Uruguay was
the only non Arab country invited to sponsor and
participate in this Conference that brought together
more than 500 businessmen and women.
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