This content was published on March 28, 2023 – 18:07 March 28, 2023 – 18:07 minutes
Washington, March 28 (EFE). – The White House on Tuesday called Argentina a “key ally” ahead of the meeting between US Presidents Joe Biden and Argentina’s Alberto Fernández in Washington on Wednesday.
One of the spokesmen for the White House National Security Council, John Kirby, recalled in a virtual press conference that Fernández’s trip will mark the 200th anniversary of bilateral relations.
In addition, “together with Argentina we celebrate 40 years of democracy since the end of military dictatorship,” said Kirby, noting that Biden and Fernández will emphasize “the importance of defending and protecting democratic values” in the region and globally.
On Wednesday, ahead of the meeting between the two leaders, Biden will sponsor the Democracy Summit that the US says world leaders are due to attend.
Kirby added that another topic on the agenda of their bilateral meeting will be the fight against the climate crisis and ways to continue cooperation to accelerate the clean energy transition.
They will also discuss deepening cooperation to promote “economic prosperity in the region” and in both countries, which Kirby said includes further collaboration on innovation, particularly with regard to 5G technology and space.
Kirby recalled that Biden and Fernández met at the last Summit of the Americas, held in Los Angeles (USA) in early June, and that they will use tomorrow’s meeting to follow up on the initiatives announced there, such as the proposals to expand the Legal migration channels as an alternative to irregular migration on the continent.
Kirby hailed Argentina as one of the US allies in supporting Ukraine in the face of the Russian invasion and expected Biden and Fernández to discuss what more can be done to support Kiev.
Biden will receive Fernández at a meeting marked by Argentina’s agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Both heads of state were due to meet in Washington last July, but the meeting was postponed because the US President was ill with Covid-19.
Fernández, who will arrive in Washington after two days of work meetings in New York, will meet Biden at an important moment of the debt restructuring agreement with the IMF, an organization in which the United States has a prominent weight.
And the fund’s board must in the coming weeks approve the fourth revision of the Extended Facilities Program that Argentina signed a year ago, which will entitle it to a $5,300 million payout, which has already received the green light from technical staff the organization. EFE
ssa/aaca/eat
© EFE 2023. The redistribution and retransmission of all or part of the content of the Efe Services is expressly prohibited without the prior and express consent of Agencia EFE SA