Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero and Defense Minister Jorge Taiana led this Monday at the San Martín Palace a binational meeting of foreign ministerss and Defense of Argentina and Chile, within the framework of the State visit that President Gabriel Boric Font makes to the country.
The Argentine ministers held a meeting with the Chilean Foreign Minister, Antonia Urrejola Noguera, and her defense counterpart, Maya Fernández Allende, with the aim of intensifying bilateral cooperation in various aspects, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
During the meeting, Cafiero and Urrejola Noguera agreed on the opportunity to deepen ties in areas of “great benefit” for both countries such as trade, investment, industry and production, and in the protection of human rights and the promotion of diversity and gender equality, indicated the official document.
In terms of defense, they discussed the intention to reactivate cooperation mechanisms such as the Permanent Security Committee (COMPERSEG)as well as exchanges in the area of education and training, and between the training centers for peace operations of both countries (CECOPAC and CAECOPAZ).
The Ministers of Defense expressed the will to reactivate the work of the Combined Joint Peace Force “Cruz del Sur”, strengthen the gender agenda and the exchange of military training, where Argentina offered the courses of the National Defense University (UNDEF ).
Along with the Chancellor @SantiagoCafiero we held a binational work meeting with the Minister of Defense @Mayafernandez and the Minister of Foreign Affairs @UrrejolaRREE to intensify cooperation between the two nations.
With Chile we have a broad agenda in common. pic.twitter.com/XsFmPgDZYu
– Jorge Taiana (@JorgeTaiana) April 4, 2022
They also agreed to highlight the proper functioning of the Combined Antarctic Naval Patrol between the Argentine and Chilean Navy.
As reported, Taiana and Fernández Allende will meet again this Thursday, April 7, in the city of Santiago de Chile, within the framework of the International Air and Space Fair (FIDAE).
In the bilateral meeting with his peer, Urrejola Noguera, in which the Chief of the Cabinet of Advisors, Luciana Tito, and the Undersecretary for Latin American Affairs, Gustavo Martínez Pandiani, also participated, Cafiero pointed out that Argentina considers the link with Chile as a “priority axis” of Argentine foreign policy and considered that, with the arrival of President Boric to La Moneda, “a new stage opens in which it is hoped that, through the strengthening of greater common convictions, the strategic alliance with greater articulation in the region”.
The head of Palacio San Martín also stressed that the “Strong economic ties and the dynamism of commercial exchange constitute the basis for projecting other areas of the bilateral relationship, with a medium and long-term strategic vision.”
During the meeting, the regional situation also had its chapter and, in this sense, the importance of strengthening the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), of which Argentina holds the Pro Tempore Presidency, was highlighted as a “valuable bond of regional integration in the face of the political and economic challenges facing the region,” the statement said.
