On the last stop of her tour of China and Europe, Foreign Minister Mondino arrived last night in Lisbon, capital city of Portugal, where she had a busy schedule of activities, including meetings with local high-level authorities and businesspeople, aimed at strengthening the bilateral political relationship, as well as exploring opportunities to diversify and expand trade and investments.
During the working meeting with her Portuguese counterpart, the Minister of State and Foreign Affairs, Paulo Rangel, and the Secretary of State for Economy, João Rui Ferreira, Foreign Minister Mondino placed emphasis on the shared views between both governments regarding issues on the international agenda, such as the promotion of peace and security and the defence of democracies and multilateralism.
Argentina and Portugal have maintained a friendly relationship since 1821, reflected in common projects in the Ibero-American sphere and in bilateral and triangular cooperation in the scientific, technical, cultural and environmental fields.
Regarding the long-delayed MERCOSUR-EU Agreement, the Foreign Ministers reaffirmed their countries’ willingness to work within their respective blocs to facilitate the conclusion of the negotiations as soon as possible. In this regard, Argentina firmly believes that the gradual opening of its economy is a necessary factor for its development, and thus it needs to advance in the signing of trade agreements that will allow it to increase its exports and to integrate into the world.
Foreign Minister Mondino also referred to Argentina's accession to the OECD, as well as its request to become a NATO global partner.
In addition, Mondino held a meeting at the Institute for the Promotion of Latin America and the Caribbean (IPDAL) with members of the Portuguese private sector, including businesspeople and opinion leaders. The purpose of the event was to offer an overview of the reforms promoted in Argentina, discuss bilateral investment opportunities and explore collaboration possibilities. Foreign Minister Mondino was joined by IPDAL President Paulo Neves, Bernardo Gross from Lifthium Energy, Manuela Barber from Iberia Portugal, Pedro Félix from Amorim Group and Tomás Gonçalves from Pestana Group, among others.
Mondino’s agenda also included a meeting with Carlos Moedas, mayor of Lisbon, who recently visited the City of Buenos Aires, together with a large delegation of Portuguese writers and artists, to participate in the 48th International Book Fair, where Lisbon was a guest of honour.
Mondino and Moedas discussed Lisbon's successful participation in the Fair and addressed topics related to the development of companies in the fields of innovation and cooperation in ocean economy initiatives.
In 2023, bilateral trade in goods with Portugal totalled USD 213 million, with a surplus for Argentina of USD 9 million. In turn, trade in services reached USD 19 million, with a USD 11-million surplus for our country.
