Alberto Fernández received the foreign minister of Japan to advance in a “global strategic partnership”

President Alberto Fernández received today in his office at the Casa Rosada the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Yoshimasa Hayashi, together with Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero, with the aim of “expanding bilateral trade,” “strengthening the bilateral agenda on trade, economic and financial issues” and “greater coordination in multilateral organizations.” The diplomat also has planned a meeting with the Argentine Foreign Minister and then another with the Minister of Economy, Sergio Massa. We will continue to move forward to turn the Strategic Relationship into a Global Strategic Partnership,” the Argentine president said through his social networks and clarified: “We are taking another step in the diplomatic relationship: it means the possibility of expanding bilateral trade, of US $ 1,862 million in 2021, strengthening the bilateral agenda on trade, economic and financial issues and greater coordination in multilateral organizations. ”  After the bilateral meeting with his Japanese counterpart, Cafiero said in statements to the accredited press that during the meeting “the Foreign Minister highlighted this close link between Japan and Argentina, those 125 years and how we can strengthen them even more, and the initiative we are carrying out is to turn the Strategic Relationship into a Global Strategic Partnership.” This is another step in the diplomatic relationship, which we committed ourselves today to explore, and will allow us to advance in possibilities of greater investment, greater link, and above all coordination in multilateral organizations, “explained the Argentine Foreign Minister in the Patio de las Palmeras after the meeting, where he also said that in the relationship with the Japanese country “we are close to being able to advance in the bilateral agenda that has to do with issues commercial, economic and financial.” Japan is very important in the seat it occupies in the IMF and in multilateral credit organizations where Argentina has current programs, such as the Paris Club, so it is important to take an overview of what has been and has been the recovery of the Argentine economy, “said Cafiero. The bilateral trade of goods between Argentina and Japan had significant growth, in 2021 it amounted to USD 1,862 million, the highest level in the last six years with a year-on-year increase of almost 79%. This trend continued in the period January-October 2022, when it amounted to USD 1,682 million, with an unfavorable trade balance for Argentina of -264 million (-15% compared to the same period of the previous year). For this reason, the importance of bilateral meetings with Japanese diplomat Yoshimasa, who will also meet with Economy Minister Sergio Massa this afternoon, to try to boost trade between the two countries. According to official information from the Argentine Foreign Ministry, the issues on the bilateral agenda to be addressed are related to cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and satellite cooperation. Also, promote mutual trade and the development of investment projects, especially in the sectors of lithium, fertilizers, hydrogen, biotechnology and the development of start-ups.

Original source in Spanish