This morning, at the Exhibition and Convention Centre (CEC), Foreign Minister Jorge Faurie presided over a meeting with representatives from Asian countries attending the 2nd High-Level United Nations Conference on South-South Cooperation (BAPA+40).
The Argentine Foreign Minister, joined by the Minister of Production and Labour, Dante Sica, stated that this Conference on South-South Cooperation is the "perfect opportunity" to establish an "honest and constructive dialogue between our nations" and "talk about our relationship", which "needs to become more dynamic" because it is "far from reaching its full potential."
"The Asian Region holds an important place in Argentina's foreign policy," Faurie stated. He further highlighted "the great growth it has experienced in the past few decades: on the one hand, we would like to be a part of its development and contribute to it with our expertise in different areas, and, on the other hand, we want to learn from it."
The Foreign Minister also talked about the potential of the Argentine Fund for South-South and Triangular Cooperation (Fo.Ar.), which "has allowed the mobilization of more than 300 highly qualified Argentine and Asian professionals trained in fields which are essential to the development of our nations". He also stated that Fo.Ar "challenges us to go beyond Latin America, but Asia is worth the effort."
"We seek to build sustainable, long-term relationships," Faurie stated. He explained that this "is only possible if it is beneficial for both parties; therefore, we have designed a flexible and strategic plan which will allow our countries to increase their presence on both sides."
The Foreign Minister explained that our country "is currently working on 26 bilateral projects in 13 Asian countries and on two regional initiatives, all related to issues which are fundamental to our national development, such as agribusiness, food security, justice and human rights, and strengthening public administration."
"This meeting must serve as a platform for new opportunities," Faurie concluded during the event held today at the CEC, which continued with the presentation of a panel of experts from different Argentine institutions with global experience in cooperation, such as the Argentine Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA), the National Service of Agri-food Health and Quality (SENASA) and the Argentine company INVAP.
In turn, Sica stated that "Asia is an important driver of the global economy and its growth leads to an increased global demand for food." He underscored that "meeting that demand is a great challenge for us, since Argentina is one of the main food providers of the world." "The potential of our relationship with Asia is great," he concluded.
