US President hails an “enormous opportuniy” to increase “economic integration” with Argentina as he hosts Alberto Fernández at the White House.
President Alberto Fernández has returned to Argentina “satisfied” after having “opened the doors” for important “strategic work” with the United States at the White House.
A long-awaited meeting between Argentina’s Peronist leader and US President, Joe Biden, finallY took place in March, with both sides emerging subsequently to talk up bilateral relations and openings in the coming years.
Sat in the Oval Office, the US Democratic leader hailed an “enormous opportunity” to increase economic integration with Argentina and told Fernández that he can “count on him” in the face of massive economic difficulties, in part caused by a devastating drought.
“DEEPEN COOPERATION”
For Biden, the meeting was a good opportunity for both countries to agree to “deepen cooperation” in various sectors, such as clean energy, critical minerals, technology and security.
“We can cooperate on a lot”, stressed the Democratic President, aware of the opportunity to pamper relationship with a friendly country, at a time when China is striving to extend its influence in Latin America.
Biden also recalled that he should have received Fernández last summer, but had to cancel after contracting the Covid-19 virus.
He went on to thank him for his “handling” of Argentina’s response to Russia’s war in Ukraine. Buenos Aires has repeteadly condemned Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine but, like other Latin American countries, has refused to send arms to Kyiv.
“The war has done immeasurable damage to the world economy. We have to work hard together, join forces, so that this war ends, so that it stops taking human lives and so that the economy recovers”, Fernández said.
Both countris have a head start in mitigating the consequences of the war, which global bodies warn could cause hundreds of millions os people to go hungry.
SOURCE: www.batimes.com.ar