Within the framework of the Forum for East Asia-Latin America Cooperation (FEALAC) being held in Busan, South Korea, Argentine Foreign Minister Jorge Faurie held bilateral meetings with authorities from several countries, including Japan, Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Mongolia and Indonesia:
· JAPAN
Faurie met with the Japanese State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Kazuyuki Nakane, and conveyed to him the priority assigned by Argentina to the relationship with Japan. This was reflected in the establishment of a "strategic partnership" announced on the occasion of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's visit to Argentina in November 2016 and ratified during President Macri's visit to Japan in May this year.
The Ministers agreed that these visits express both governments' decision to strengthen the long-standing bilateral relations, especially in the field of Japanese investments and Argentine exports, particularly those of meat. They also analyzed the draft bilateral agreement on investment promotion (BIT) and the MERCOSUR-JAPAN dialogue, which made progress in the past few months. Nakane expressed Japan's interest in closely cooperating with the Argentine G20 Presidency in 2018.
As regards the WTO Ministerial Conference in Buenos Aires, Faurie remarked that Argentina expects the Conference to reaffirm the WTO as the foundation of the multilateral trade system.
As for the situation in the Korean peninsula, Faurie reminded Nakane that Argentina has systematically condemned the nuclear and missile tests conducted by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, which violate the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council, generate instability in the region and represent a threat to international security.
Finally, Faurie thanked Japan's support for Argentina's OECD membership bid and for Buenos Aires' candidacy for Expo 2023. It is worth noting that 2018 will mark the 120th Anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.
· VIETNAM
Faurie held a working meeting with the Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister, Ha Kim Ngoc, with whom he reviewed the long and fruitful bilateral agenda. In this context, they underscored the exponential growth of the economic and trade relationship and the need to expand and diversify exchanges. In addition, they reviewed the cooperation projects in agri-industry and human rights and mentioned the workshop to be held in Hanoi in November to analyze the outcome of cooperation with Argentine technical experts and representatives of the private sector.
Ha Kim Ngoc underscored our country's cooperation prospects in telecommunications, gas and petroleum, and infrastructure.
Vietnam is the 4th destination for Argentine exports. During the past ten years, the economic and trade relationship has grown exponentially: the bilateral trade balance, favourable to Argentina, multiplied sevenfold between 2005 and 2016 (from USD 424 million to USD 2.896 billion). In the Americas, Argentina is Vietnam's second trade partner, after the United States.
· PHILIPPINES
Faurie and his Philippine counterpart, Alan Peter Schramm Cayetano, discussed the progress of the relationship between MERCOSUR and the Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN), which Philippines chairs in 2017. In addition, they underscored and shared views on Argentina's application to join the ASEAN Treaty of Amity and Cooperation so as to boost and strengthen our country's dialogue with the Association.
Foreign Minister Faurie expressed his satisfaction with the recent authorization to export Argentine meat into the Philippine market and his interest in increasing meat sales. Both countries underscored the advanced negotiations on tax information and the positive results of the various South-South Cooperation projects, especially on agriculture.
The Foreign Ministers underscored the importance of infrastructure works and connectivity and explored the possibility of developing a Work and Holidays Programme and advance in mechanisms for mutual recognition of academic studies.
The officials agreed that bilateral trade, which has been historically favourable to Argentina and yearly amounting to USD 500 million on average, has enormous potential for expansion. Furthermore, Faurie remarked to his counterpart that he looks forward to the valuable Philippine contribution to the upcoming WTO Ministerial Meeting to be held in Buenos Aires next December.
Argentina recognized the Philippines as an Independent State on 2 December 1946 and the two countries established diplomatic relations on 27 August 1948.
· INDONESIA
Faurie met with the Indonesian Director General for ASEAN Cooperation, José Tavares. At the meeting, the Foreign Minister noted that Argentina regards Indonesia as a key partner in Asia and as a key participant in the current debates on the global agenda. The two officials agreed to strengthen and diversify the relationship in the fields of political cooperation and bilateral trade and investment.
In 2016, the bilateral trade balance amounted to USD 1.516 billion. The trade surplus at USD 971 million was the sixth highest surplus for our country.
They also discussed the access of Argentine meat into the Indonesian market and underscored Indonesia's role in promoting the MERCOSUR-ASEAN dialogue. As regards the WTO, the two countries agreed on the need to achieve positive results in the upcoming Ministerial Meeting so as to strengthen and consolidate the multilateral trade system with the WTO as its cornerstone.
Indonesia is one of the world's 20 largest economies. President Macri and the Indonesian President, Joko Widodo, held a meeting in September in 2016 on the margins of the G20 Summit in Hangzhou, China. They agreed to keep strengthening and broadening bilateral bonds, including trade, investment and bilateral cooperation.
· MONGOLIA
Foreign Minister Faurie and the Mongolian Deputy Foreign Minister, Batmunkh Battsetseg, reviewed the cooperation projects on agricultural technology, energy and nuclear medicine (in which INVAP participates).
Battsetseg praised Argentina's commitment to agricultural development in his country, especially through the supply of equipment and technology. He also mentioned the vast territory and interest in learning from our experience in several matters, such as cattle diseases.
· THAILAND
The Argentine Foreign Minister also met with the Deputy Foreign Minister of Thailand, Virasakdi Futrakul, and stated Argentina's intention to broaden bilateral relations in all fields, especially in trade. In this regard, the two officials underscored the recent meetings held in Buenos Aires by the political and economic dialogue bodies, as well as the next meeting between cooperation authorities. Both countries also agreed on the need to support and promote an open, rules-based, transparent, equitable and non-discriminatory multilateral trading system anchored in the WTO.
Faurie referred to the contacts in recent years between INVAP and the Thailand Institute of Nuclear Technology (TINT), and noted that cooperation in the field of peaceful uses of nuclear energy, especially medical uses, has great potential.
In 1995, Argentina was the first Latin American country to establish diplomatic relations with Thailand.
Press release No. 359/17
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