"There was a need to revalidate the agenda agreed upon under the Obama administration, and this goal was achieved. Both Presidents have also given instructions to further discuss some issues," stated Foreign Minister Susana Malcorra, with regard to President Macri's recent visit to the United States, where he was received at the White House by his counterpart, Donald Trump.
In her statements to the programme "Desde el llano", broadcast on TN news channel, Malcorra stated that the presidential visit to the United States was "very positive", and added: "It was reconfirmed that there is a good relationship between the presidents, and they reminisced about their long acquaintance. The US Government's acknowledgement that the bilateral relationship is in a good state gives confidence and allows room for the private sector, which fosters what we are interested in: investment."
As regards Argentine lemon exports, the Foreign Minister stated: "President Trump said they would be allowed; it has already been published in the US Federal Register." In addition, in terms of human rights, the head of Argentine diplomacy explained that: "Trump delivered to our President in advance the (declassified) documents on the dictatorship. It is a project which began under the Obama administration and will conclude at the end of this year. Even though it could have been simply forgotten, the delivery was carried out in advance. We also reviewed some of the documents which had been delivered to me by the (former) Secretary of State, John Kerry, and we performed an additional examination to gather further information.
As regards trade, the Argentine Foreign Minister underscored that: "Trump and his team regard bilateral trade as a very important indicator of their global position. Unfortunately, Argentina registers a trade deficit with the US. Therefore, from the US perspective, we are not a threat. However, President Macri stated very clearly to Trump that having a trade deficit does not mean we do not intend to reverse that situation or at least reach a balance. The US could adopt a positive attitude which allows us to improve trade."
As regards the Pope's statements on the situation in Venezuela, Malcorra stated: "The Vatican has long been discussing this issue with the Government and the opposition. In a way, the dialogue fostered by UNASUR last year has been eroded. Failing to reach a solution after discussions means one of two things: you are either purposefully using dialogue to avoid settlement or you are being thoughtless."
"What His Holiness states -which is part of what we discussed when I was in Rome a few days ago- is that he intends to set topics and dates and that this is not an endless discussion. In order to do this, it is important to engage the participation and commitment of the Venezuelan Government and the opposition, and to ensure that everyone shares the same goal and agrees on the path to achieve it."
"I want to point out that destabilization is not on our agenda; we do not wish to see the Government of President Maduro overthrown by a coup d'état. We believe that all existing tools must be used in order to call elections in which the candidate chosen by popular vote emerges victorious."
As regards President Maduro's recent call for a Constituent National Assembly, Malcorra stated: "Although it is provided for in the Constitution, I believe that, right now, it is almost like adding fuel to the fire. We must assess this, but it seems everyone is raising the stakes without considering that those who are dying in the streets, whatever their political affiliation, are Venezuelans."
Press release No. 154/17
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