Washington (EFE).- The president of the United States, Joe Biden, stressed this Wednesday to his Argentine counterpart, Alberto Fernández, the “very good opportunity” that both countries have to strengthen their economic relations, in a meeting in which they did not he ignored the issue of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
“I think we have a very good opportunity to continue deepening economic relations on different cooperation issues, such as clean energy, technology and security, among others,” he said in the Oval Office of the White House at the beginning of their meeting.
Biden also celebrated the fulfillment this year of the 200th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two nations, and noted that with today’s meeting begins the next “century” of their bilateral ties.
The US president considered that there is a good opportunity for greater “economic integration” between their countries, and thanked Fernández for his participation in the Summit for Democracy, sponsored by the US.
Both were scheduled to meet last July in Washington, but the meeting was postponed because the US president contracted covid-19.
“This meeting is an opportunity to reaffirm that nothing is out of reach if we work together,” Biden said.
This is the first bilateral meeting between the two as presidents. In addition, Fernández is the first Peronist leader to take a photo with a US president in the White House since Néstor Kirchner (2003-2007) met George W. Bush (2001-2009) at the presidential mansion. .
Negotiations with the IMF and US support.
The Argentine president asked his US counterpart to continue supporting him in the negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
“We hope that they continue to accompany us, as they have done up to now,” Fernández 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 his concern about the climate crisis to Biden.
“Argentina is suffering from the worst drought since 1929 in its recent history. This has greatly complicated our economy and we are considering this new reality to credit agencies, ”said Fernández, who then asked Biden for his support.
At another point in his statements, the Argentine took the opportunity to thank Biden for the support that his government has “always” given Argentina in international credit organizations.
The meeting takes place at an important moment in the debt restructuring agreement between Argentina and the IMF, since it is expected that in the coming days the Fund’s board of directors will authorize a disbursement of 5.3 billion dollars, within the 44 billion credit that Argentina has with the financial institution.
Fernández traveled to the United States accompanied by the Minister of Economy of Argentina, 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.
