The presidents of Argentina, Alberto Fernández, and of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, agreed to “deepen the strategic relationship” between the two countries, in addition to promoting the growth of Mercosur, of which they are the main partners, and also unified criticism of former president Jair Bolsonaro.
In a joint statement to the press in the White Room of the Government House, after having held a bilateral meeting, Fernández described the day with his Brazilian counterpart as “wonderful” and stressed that it is the “origin” of a “much deeper close relationship that will last for decades to come.”
“Everyone knows the deep affection and admiration I feel for my friend Lula,” he said, while saying that “he is a leader and a great statesman.”
He also recalled having seen him “20 years ago start a political process that lifted millions of Brazilians out of poverty” in his country and also “lead the Latin American region in the years that he was president.”
For this reason, Fernández stated that “another stage is beginning” with this bilateral meeting and remarked that “the exact same problems and the same needs continue to be linked to us that we had” at the beginning of the diplomatic relationship, 200 years ago.
“(Former President Jair) Bolsonaro passed through Brazil and (former President Mauricio) Macri passed through Argentina and the challenges we have are very similar,” he said.
“(Former President Jair) Bolsonaro passed through Brazil and (former President Mauricio) Macri passed through Argentina and the challenges we face are very similar”Alberto Fernandez
In this regard, he listed the “first challenge is to consolidate democracy and institutions”.
At that moment, the President, looking at Lula, told him: “I want you to know dear friend that from Argentina we will always be by your side and we will not let any delusional attack democracy and the institutions of Brazil”.
“We are not going to let – he insisted – that any fascist take from above the attack on popular sovereigntyar. We know each other and we know that our peoples do not want hatred but freedom and dialogue, and they also want well-being and justice.”
The head of state stressed that “if there is something we have in common, it is the need to integrate Latin America,” adding that they spoke of the “greater integration of the countries, to strengthen, make more efficient and promote Mercosur“.
In addition, he highlighted that there was talk of “restart Unasur“, the regional bloc that functioned in the times of former presidents Néstor Kirchner and Cristina Fernández, as well as “taking advantage of tomorrow’s Celac meeting with the purpose of favoring the integration of the region.”
In another stretch of his statement, he advocated “organize an energy framework that guarantees the development of our towns“, in addition to highlighting the “possibility of gas from Vaca Muerta reaching Brazil” as well as “electricity from Brazil reaching us”.
Lula, who has already been president of Brazil twice, valued the signed agreements and thanked Fernández for having visited him in prison when he was incarcerated.
“I will never forget the solidarity of the Argentine people. I want to publicly say thank you, comrade, for all the love shown at that time and for the love in this new relationship between Argentina and Brazil,” he said.
The Brazilian president praised the relationship with former presidents Eduardo Duhalde, Néstor Kirchner and Cristina Fernández, which he described as “privileged.”
In this regard, he asserted that Brazil “historically turned its back on South America and looked towards Europe” and during his administration, Argentina “became Brazil’s third largest trading partner.”
Lula was pleased that “today a relationship that should never have been stopped has been resumed.”
“Today a relationship has been resumed that should never have been stopped”Lula Da Silva
In another passage of his statement, the president of Brazil expressed an “apology to the people for all the rudeness” uttered by Bolsonaro.
“I say that he is a genocide due to the lack of care and responsibility and for all the offenses that he said to President Fernández,” he stressed.
In this regard, he expanded that Brazil “does not have the right to seek enemies, we have to build partners.”
Finally, he promised that “when my term ends, the relationship will be the best relationship, not because I have preference but because Argentina is a great country, since it was the fifth largest economy in the world.”
“I can affirm that today is the beginning of a new story, rest assured, Argentina will be treated with the love and respect that it has always deserved and not even soccer will divide us because interests are more important and we will be partners in all thingsyeah,” he concluded.
The meeting was held in the Eva Perón Room and they were accompanied by the respective foreign ministers, Santiago Cafiero and Mauro Vieira, and the Economy Ministers of Economy, Sergio Massa and Fernando Haddad, respectively, as well as the first ladies, Fabiola Yáñez, and Janja da Silva, official sources informed Télam.
Also present were the Secretary for Strategic Affairs, Mercedes Marcó del Pont, and the Ambassador to Brazil, Daniel Scioli, for Argentina, and for Brazil, the presidential adviser, Celso Amorín, and the ambassador of that country in Argentina, Reinaldo Salgado.
Then, everyone went to the White Room for the joint statement, where the Chief of Staff, Juan Manzur; the Ministers of Science, Technology and Innovation, Daniel Filmus; of Health, Carla Vizzotti; Defense, Jorge Taiana, and Security, Aníbal Fernández; the General Secretaries of the Presidency, Julio Vitobello; Climate Change, Sustainable Development and Innovation, Cecilia Nicolini, and International Economic Relations, Cecilia Todesca; the presidential spokesperson, Gabriela Cerruti, and the pro-government national deputies Carlos Heller and Eduardo Valdés.
In the press conference after the joint declaration, the leaders spoke of the possibility that both countries have a common currency to use in commercial exchange.
Fernandez pointed out that “we don’t know how” a common currency “would work in our countries or in the region”but they do know “of foreign currencies and the harmfulness of all that”, and for this reason “I celebrate the vocation of Brazil” to raise this idea.
“If we don’t dare to change, we will continue to suffer the same ills,” he pointed out, and said that “the link between Argentina and Brazil will motorize Latin America.”
Lula recalled that “there was an experience between Brazil and Argentina, where each one paid in their currency. It was a small experience, something optional.”
Now the “Finance ministers, with their teams, are going to make a proposal for transactions between the two countries and that it be done with a common currency,” he said.
This will be dealt with “after much debate and meetings, so that foreign trade does not depend on the dollar,” said the Brazilian president, and fought “for a Mercosur currency, as the Brics countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China) tried and South Africa)”.
“It will happen and it will be useful for countries with difficulties in accessing the dollar,” in which the central banks “will determine the type of currency for transactions,” Lula stressed.
Lula: “For the first time I supported Argentina to be world champion”
Lula assured that during the recent World Cup in Qatar he encouraged “for the first time for Argentina to be world champion.”
“I thought that Lionel Messi couldn’t finish his career without being world champion,” Lula said at the Casa Rosada and completed, jokingly: “But that’s it, that’s it, now it’s Brazil’s turn.”
