Foreign Minister Solá met with the Minster of Foreign Affairs of the Plurinational State of Bolivia, Rogelio Mayta, to discuss the global crisis caused by the Covid-19 and its impact on the region, as well as the importance of expanding trade and bilateral cooperation. They agreed on the need for a patent waiver for vaccines and stated that patents should be universal public goods so that all countries have equitable access to them and to medical innovations developed to fight the pandemic.
As agreed during Solá’s visit to Bolivia last March, the Foreign Ministers discussed the signing of an Agreement on Cooperation, Integration and Fraternity, a Memorandum of Understanding on lithium and a Memorandum of Cooperation between Diplomatic Academies.
Solá told Mayta that, after the Argentina-Bolivia Binational Committee on Trade and Investments, held last April, efforts to overcome current obstacles to the export of pork, genetic material, live animals, wine, and forest products continue, as well as to eliminate barriers for Argentine companies to participate in tenders for hospital medical equipment. “It is a priority to advance such negotiations to open and reopen beef, pork and poultry establishments, and industrial processing facilities, to resume meat exports that have been suspended since 2014,” stated the Argentine Foreign Minister.
He stated that Argentina “promotes business encounters, with the goal of establishing strategic partnerships for the region’s integration in third markets, taking into account the potential of both countries in agricultural production.”
They also talked about President Alberto Fernández’ invitation for President Luis Arce to visit Argentina, bearing in mind the current restrictions due to the pandemic and as permitted by their schedules. “We hope to confirm the date soon. For the Argentine people it is a great honour to host Bolivia’s popularly elected President,” stated Solá, accompanied by the Undersecretary for Foreign Policy, Gustavo Dzugala.
Both Ministers, together with dozens of international delegations, were in Quito to attend Guillermo Lasso’s presidential inauguration ceremony on 24 May.
