The Deputy Foreign Ministers of the Argentine Republic and the Plurinational State of Bolivia, Ambassador Pedro Villagra Delgado and Ambassador Guadalupe Palomeque de Taboada, held a working meeting at the Palacio San Martín.
During the meeting, the Deputy Foreign Ministers addressed the most important items on the bilateral, regional and global agenda, and reaffirmed the historic bonds of friendship and brotherhood between both countries.
Both Deputy Foreign Ministers agreed to establish a Political Consultation Mechanism at the level of both Foreign Ministries’ high authorities to strengthen dialogue on matters of mutual interest pertaining to the bilateral, regional and multilateral relations.
They also underscored the need to promptly convene a bilateral meeting including all the competent authorities from both countries to address border issues. They also agreed to convene the 2nd Meeting of the Bolivian – Argentine Joint Work Group and affirmed the commitment to hold the 8th Meeting of the Binational Work Group for the Construction of the Yacuiba Salvador Mazza (YASMA) Bridge and the Meetings of the Committees of Border Integration of Yacuiba Salvador Mazza, Bermejo Aguas Blancas and La Quiaca Villazón within this year.
They agreed on the need to continue strengthening bilateral cooperation to face the drug problem and they highlighted the importance of promptly signing the Agreement on Inter-institutional Strengthening of the Operational Strategy for Police Cooperation, currently under negotiation, to strengthen, improve and enhance the fight against organized crime and drug trafficking in particular.
The Deputy Foreign Ministers signed a Letter of Intent on Cooperation in Consular and Migration Affairs, under which they undertake to hold the next Meeting of the Consular Consultations Mechanism during the second half of this year and to initiate, as soon as possible, the negotiations towards the signature of an Agreement on Information Exchange for migration purposes which includes judicial and procedural information.
The topics addressed at the meeting also included the goals accomplished through South-South Cooperation and within the framework of the Argentine Fund for South-South and Triangular Cooperation. In this regard, the Deputy Foreign Ministers commended the advances in the following projects:
1. Project on Technical Cooperation for South American Locust Control;
2. Project on Strengthening the Organ, Cell and Tissue Donation and Transplantation Process in Bolivia;
3. Project on the Pediatric Care Network and Capacity-building in Child Cardiology, to be developed jointly with Germany.
The Deputy Foreign Ministers called for the prompt creation of the Bilateral Trade, Investment and Economic Relations Committee, as a dialogue forum to promote bilateral trade and mutual investments and to facilitate access to their respective markets.
The Bolivian Delegation expressed their gratitude for the Argentine Government’s hospitality and warm welcome during their stay in Buenos Aires.
Press Release No. 126/17
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