The Foreign Minister of the Argentine Republic, Susana Malcorra, and the US Secretary of State, John Kerry, ratified their commitment to intensify the joint work and strengthen the cooperation mechanisms between the two countries, during a meeting held today at the Palacio San Martín.
"We have made progress on all the topics discussed during President (Barack) Obama’s visit. We have made significant progress on many of them, and we will be meeting with colleagues from other ministries, which will surely allow us to conduct more detailed work on specific questions related to their respective departments," explained the Foreign Minister.
In turn, Kerry observed that Argentina and the United States "have been regional leaders for a long time."
Secretary Kerry also assured that there "will be more investments and growth" in Argentina, something that "does not materialize in 24 hours, but will happen thanks to the commitment assumed by the Government."
During a joint press conference offered after the bilateral meeting, the Argentine Foreign Minister welcomed Kerry and highlighted the importance of the commitments "we have mutually assumed and are fully willing to maintain and develop."
She further explained that these matters are not solved "in a day," since they have to do with "planning agendas on a mutual basis."
"This is why we rely on the teams on both sides to continue working on this, keeping our agenda alive through a political dialogue that will intensify during the following months." In this respect, Minister Malcorra announced that the Argentine Deputy Foreign Minister will travel to Washington in the next few months.
In turn, Kerry noted that during the visit of President Obama to Argentina last March, "our leaders decided to initiate a high-level dialogue on a regular basis." "And this morning, Foreign Minister Malcorra and I have launched this dialogue," he added.
The US Secretary of State commended the fact that "President Macri and Foreign Minister Malcorra are committed to maintaining a solid and close relationship with the United States, just as the one we have with Argentina, which is highly important at this time."
He also noted that he had talked with the Argentine Foreign Minister "about these new efforts to cooperate in the fields of security and peacekeeping;" adding that "fighting organized crime and drug trafficking is one of our priorities." He further explained that "federal agencies in Washington and Buenos Aires are working to improve airport security skills, prevent money laundering, fight terrorism and reduce demand for illicit drugs."
"We know that there have been economic challenges and that President Macri has taken some very brave but difficult decisions to push Argentina forward and create new jobs, an issue which is at the core of his agenda," added the Secretary.
He also said that the United States "firmly supports President Macri's efforts to increase Argentina's participation in the global economy" and he added that, within the framework of the G20, "both countries will support the policies aimed at achieving sound, sustainable and balanced growth." "We are truly committed to ensuring that globalization has a positive impact on all peoples," he underscored.
Kerry stated that, after meeting today with leaders of the Argentine-American Chamber of Commerce, he got the impression that "there is renewed optimism about Argentina's future."
"We sense that optimism. President Obama said so when he visited Argentina, and I wish to stress that. Argentina is an extraordinary country, with skilled people and enormous resources. The reforms that are being implemented will lead to a brighter economic future," he said.
The Secretary further stated that "this is a country where many people are looking for investment and expansion opportunities." Likewise, he highlighted the decision to take the 20 billion dollars in international trade each year as a basis for "establishing an investment and dialogue framework" in order to promote "a network of small businesses in the Americas."
He also underscored "the agreement signed with Argentina to start working on a Global Entry programme to facilitate tourism." Kerry recalled that "more than 97 Argentines and 39 Americans obtained scholarships to study and conduct research in Argentina and the United States last year."
On a different note, the Secretary of State said that "both countries support the peace process in Colombia and expect that stability and genuine democracy will be re-established in Venezuela."
He also added that, during the meeting, "I expressed my support and congratulated Foreign Minister Malcorra" on Argentina’s agreement to receive Syrian refugees.
Kerry mentioned, as a further commonality between both countries, their strong commitment to policies aimed at mitigating the impact of climate change. "Clean energy is not just a necessity, but also one of the greatest economic opportunities for the world. This is why both countries are looking for ways to incorporate more renewable energies," he said.
Press release No. 254/16
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