Today, Foreign Minister Jorge Faurie formally presented the City of Santa Fe as host of the next Summit of Heads of State of MERCOSUR Member and Associate States, to be held in July 2019.
At the event, which was held today at the Palacio San Martín, the Foreign Minister was joined by the Mayor of the city of Santa Fe, José Corral and by the Secretary for International Relations and Integration of Santa Fe, María Julia Reyna; in addition to other provincial and municipal authorities and legislators.
Faurie stated that holding the Summit in Santa Fe is "twice as valuable" to him, since "first of all, being from Santa Fe, I am extremely proud that my city and my province will host presidents and delegations from MERCOSUR member States," and he also underscored that "it reaffirms the national scale of our integration process".
"Santa Fe has major opportunities and great potential, in addition to an industrial development level that is very important within MERCOSUR," Faurie noted.
The Foreign Minister explained that during this first half of 2019, Argentina holds the Pro Tempore Presidency of the bloc "within a context of challenges as well as opportunities, which should always be in coordination with the permanent search for concrete results for our citizens". In this regard, he underscored "the dynamic commitment to opening that has characterized the bloc since 2016, promoting the negotiation of trade agreements such as those currently being negotiated with the European Union, Canada, countries from EFTA and Singapore," and added that "we have opened negotiations with Korea and aim to do so with Japan."
The Foreign Minister stressed the "urgent need to afford greater dynamism to MERCOSUR" and that "the work carried out towards the insertion into the world together with our partners must be aimed at economic and social development." "This is what our peoples are asking for," he added.
"MERCOSUR has been and still is essential for the consolidation of the region as a provider of development and of business and employment opportunities for its inhabitants: Santa Fe will represent a further step in this direction," he concluded.
In turn, Mayor Corral stated that "Santa Fe is ready to receive the Heads of State" in July, and he underscored the "strategy of transforming this city into a host of major meetings and relevant events of international importance," which leads to employment, infrastructure and economic benefits.
