Foreign Minister Diana Mondino received at the San Martín Palace her French counterpart, Stéphane Séjourné, who is making his first visit to a foreign country as French Minister of Foreign Affairs.
During the meeting, both officials highlighted that the bond between Argentina and France has the status of a “privileged relationship” and is based on a shared heritage as Western liberal democracies and an unwavering commitment to the republican form of government.
The Argentine Minister pointed out that our country "seeks to strengthen its commercial and investment ties with France and Europe." In addition, she highlighted the flow of French investments (8th foreign investor in our country), in sectors such as infrastructure, manufacturing and energy, among others.
Likewise, both Foreign Ministers positively valued the new measures adopted by President Milei's Government aimed at facilitating business and investments in Argentina, since these will create a climate of predictability and trust. Indeed, Séjourné stressed that French companies will continue to invest in our country.
On the other hand, the French Minister highlighted Argentina's intention to join the OECD, a decision that he referred to as "following the path of a liberal democracy that seeks to reintegrate into the world."
Mondino requested France's support regarding the surcharges applied by the International Monetary Fund for the payment of interest on the debt to middle-income countries such as Argentina, and highlighted our country's willingness to honor its commitments.
The Argentine Foreign Minister also took advantage of the occasion to reiterate Argentina’s position on the Question of the Malvinas Islands and recalled the provisions of the mandate enshrined in the National Constitution in that regard.
The officials addressed many other topics on the rich bilateral agenda, such as the negotiation of the MERCOSUR – European Union agreement, decentralized cooperation mechanisms, cooperation on the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and coincidences in multilateral forums.
Finally, they highlighted the upcoming participation of both in the G-20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro and agreed on their concern for the respect for human rights in several countries in the region, as well as for the situation in Ukraine and the Middle East.
After their meeting, Diana Mondino and Stéphane Séjourné offered a joint statement to the press which can be accesed on the following link (Spanish and French):
