The governor of the province of Buenos Aires, Axel Kicillof, agreed with the Chinese company Jouav, producer of unmanned aerial vehicles, “a cooperation plan with a view to the provision of VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) aircraft for rural safety”was officially reported this Sunday.
The agreement also includes “the transfer of technology and training for the maintenance and operation of such aircraft in Buenos Aires territory”, Y the company “commented the possibility of starting to produce its aircraft in the Province of Buenos Aires”added the Government in a statement.
We held a working meeting with the company authorities @Jouav_inc together with Ambassador Sabino Vaca Narvaja to advance a cooperation plan that will allow us to incorporate unmanned VTOL aircraft to strengthen rural security in the Province. pic.twitter.com/PDVNcxkwhp
— Axel Kicillof (@Kicillofok) February 6, 2022
At the same time, Kicillof held a meeting with authorities from the Citic Group, a Chinese state investment company, with whom he reviewed the group’s projects in Argentina in infrastructure, trains, energy, mining and agribusiness.
The governor highlighted the advantages of the province of Buenos Aires to make investments and in this framework he highlighted the joint action between the provincial government and the municipal governments.
According to official information from the Government, The agreement with Jouav arose at a meeting between Kicillof and company executives as part of the official visit to China led by President Alberto Fernándezon the tour that includes Russia and Barbados.
The company has been listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange since 2021 and is located in the Chinese province of Sichuan. The province of Buenos Aires has signed a Twinning Agreement with Sichuan that includes the implementation of Strategic Cooperation Projects between both subnational units. Sichuan has more than 87 million inhabitants, and almost one and a half times the GDP of Argentina, which places it in a favorable situation for the development of this type of cooperation initiatives.
Established in 2010, Jouav is one of the largest Chinese technology companies dedicated to the development, production and sale of unmanned VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft, differentiating itself by designing various models according to the specific requirements of each counterpart, it was explained. .
It also has worldwide recognition for its automation technology and VTOL products available in the market, operating in more than 20 countries with 1,300 customers worldwide.
Kicillof raised the businessmen “the plans of the provincial government regarding security, through enhancing responsiveness for the rural environment, and detailed the challenges that still remained in such areas, and how they could be addressed through the use of these aircraft in conjunction with information technologies.”
The governor “explained on the great extension of the province of Buenos Aires and the need to strengthen the presence of the State in those areas of difficult access, for which unmanned aircraft can play a fundamental role by allowing better rural patrolling and increase the government’s reaction capacity in such areas,” the official statement said.
“As a result, the design of a cooperation plan was agreed, with a view to the provision of unmanned VTOL aircraft for rural security, as well as the transfer of technology and training for the maintenance and operation of such aircraft in Buenos Aires territory. Likewise, , the company Jouav commented on the possibility of starting to produce its aircraft in the Province of Buenos Aires”, he detailed.
On the other hand, Kicillof, the mayor of José C. Paz, Mario Ishii, and the ambassador Sabino Vaca Narvaja held a meeting with authorities from a state investment company of the People’s Republic of China, the Citic Group.
During this day in China we also met, together with @ishiiargentina and Sabino Vaca Narvaja, with the authorities of the CITIC Group, a major construction and finance company that has infrastructure, transportation, energy, and agribusiness projects in Argentina. pic.twitter.com/16iKXupK7O
— Axel Kicillof (@Kicillofok) February 6, 2022
In a statement it was specified that the meeting between Kicillof, Ishii and Vaca Narvaja with Citic took place after the bilateral meeting in which President Alberto Fernández and his counterpart Xi Jinping outlined important investment agreements.
On behalf of Citic, one of the largest construction and finance groups in China, Piao Bo, international vice president of the Group, and Yuan Jun, representative in Argentina, participated.
The group’s projects in Argentina in terms of infrastructure, trains, energy, mining and agribusiness were reviewed. Citic also has financial entities that could expand financing opportunities for Argentina, linked to the country’s large infrastructure projects.
Kicillof emphasized the advantages of the Province of Buenos Aires in terms of investmenthighlighting “the importance and opportunities offered by joint work” between the provincial government and municipal governments for the development of projects with companies of Chinese origin.
“The province of Buenos Aires is undergoing a period of transformation in which it must necessarily expand and diversify its production capacity. In this planning it becomes essential to open new opportunities for technological exchange, training and financing,” said Kicillof.
The Argentine representatives argued thate many projects that are contained in the Belt and Road Investment Cooperation Plan and are open to the Citic group for financing and execution.
Vaca Narvaja expressed that “we must continue working between the most important groups in China and the governments of Argentina and China. This will not only enhance our trade and our reciprocal investments, but will also grant us greater sovereignty.”
And Ishii stressed that when Kicillof was Minister of Economy it was the moment “in which the economic relationship deepened the most” between Argentina and China, and along the same lines he maintained the will to work with China on financing.
