The president of Argentina, Alberto Fernández, asked his US counterpart, Joe Biden, on Wednesday to continue supporting him in negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
“We hope they continue to accompany us, as they have done so far,” Fernandez said in statements to the press at the beginning of his meeting with the US president in the Oval Office of the White House.
The Argentine president alluded to the IMF, without explicitly mentioning it, when he was expressing to Biden his concern about the climate crisis.
“Argentina is suffering the worst drought since 1929 in its recent history. That has complicated our economy a lot and we are raising this new reality with the credit agencies,” said Fernández, who then asked Biden for his support.
According to EFE, at another point in his statements, the Argentine took the opportunity to thank Biden for the support that his government has “always” given to Argentina in international credit organizations.
The meeting takes place at an important moment of the debt restructuring agreement between Argentina and the IMF, since it is expected that in the coming days the Fund’s board will authorize a disbursement of 5,300 million dollars, within the credit of 44,000 million that Argentina has with the financial organization.
Fernández traveled to the United States accompanied by Argentine Economy Minister Sergio Massa, who met this morning with the deputy managing director of the IMF, Gita Gopinath, with whom he agreed on the need to strengthen the reserves of the South American country.
This is the first bilateral meeting between Fernández and Biden as presidents. In addition, Fernández is the first Peronist leader to be photographed with a US president in the White House since Néstor Kirchner (2003-2007) met at the presidential mansion with George W. Bush (2001-2009).
Both heads of state were scheduled to meet last July in Washington, but the meeting was postponed because the American contracted covid-19.
On the agenda, in addition to negotiations with the IMF, is cooperation in the fight against the climate crisis, critical minerals and the transition to clean energy, in which Argentina could play a key role because it is one of the largest producers of lithium.
Today’s meeting will have two parts: the two leaders will meet alone first and then their teams will be incorporated into what is known as “expanded bilateral.”
Massa and Argentine Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero will be some of the senior officials who will accompany Fernández in that second part; while US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen are expected to be seated next to Biden.
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