Foreign Minister Susana Malcorra announced in a radio interview that she will embark on a lengthy tour tonight. “We are off today to attend meetings at OAS headquarters, then at the UN, and we will then represent Argentina at the Anti-Corruption Summit in the United Kingdom, where we will hold a bilateral meeting with British authorities. We will also go to Lebanon to receive the White Helmets, who are travelling to support refugees. After that, we will go to China, where we will hold highly significant bilateral meetings, and we will start our return journey via Qatar and Istambul, ending the tour in Mexico, where we will also have important meetings”, stated Ms. Malcorra.
As regards the first stage of her tour, the Foreign Minister explained, “We are travelling to Washington because Argentina is serving as Chair of the OAS Council this quarter, at a complex time for Venezuela. Last week, some Venezuelan legislators met with Secretary General Luis Almagro, and Venezuela’s Foreign Minister will travel tomorrow. So, taking our three-month term of office with responsibility, we consider it appropriate to be there to listen to different points of view and to see if we can help find a solution to a situation that has an impact on the daily lives of the Venezuelan people, we ourselves having gone through difficult situations in the past”.
Ms. Malcorra added: “I have frequent talks with the Venezuelan Foreign Minister and with all my other counterparts. And I would like to lower expectations as to what will happen. We will not achieve a solution this week. We will listen to and understand the position of the Venezuelan Government and see whether we can jointly find a way to support the search for solutions considering, in addition, the opinions of other organizations like Unasur, as long as desired by the Venezuelans”.
Before leaving, Malcorra will attend a meeting of the Argentine Senate Committee of Foreign Affairs and Worship, at 11 a.m. today, where she has been invited to discuss the general guidelines of Argentina’s foreign policy.
Press Release No. 124 /16
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