"There will be a meeting between Alberto Fernández and Donald Trump," but it will not be "imminent," Jorge Argüello said.

02/25/2020 - 9:44

• Clarín.com
• Politics

The Argentine ambassador to the United States, Jorge Argüello, said Tuesday that "there will be a meeting" between President Alberto Fernández and his US counterpart, Donald Trump, although he warned that "imminent is a qualifier that we should not yet use " For that future encounter.

"There will be a meeting between Alberto Fernández and Donald Trump, but imminent is a qualifier that we should not use," said the Argentine representative in Washington in statements to Continental radio.

On Monday, on his first day of formal activity as an ambassador, Argüello met in the US capital with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to discuss the bilateral agenda and issues of common interest, including a possible meeting of the presidents Trump and Fernandez.

The ambassador reiterated that it was a "first positive and productive meeting", in which the two "expressed the convenience and willingness to produce a meeting between both presidents."

"Pompeo commented that for them it is a particularly complicated year, because of the internal electoral process in the two parties and the intense electoral debate in the country, so he saw a trip from Trump to the region difficult and told me that he was going to recommend a visit from Fernandez if possible to Washington, "explained the Argentine ambassador.

In that context, he said that they are "exploring the possibility of making that visit" as they evaluate "that it is highly convenient for leaders to meet personally."

The diplomat also confirmed that the meeting addressed issues on the bilateral agenda such as "the Organization of American States (OAS), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the IMF, investments, economic policy, Venezuela and Bolivia."

"I told him that we are working to start the process of growth of the Argentine economy and the critical situation regarding foreign debt and, in that sense, I highlighted the role that the United States and other IMF member countries have played in recent weeks to understand the situation "of the country, he said.

In that context, he explained that Pompeo "was fully informed about the meetings" that the Minister of Economy, Martin Guzmán, has been maintaining in the United States.

Regarding the IDB, during the meeting, there was talk about the future leadership of the organization and the Argentine proposal to promote the Secretary of Strategic Affairs of the Presidency, Gustavo Béliz, for that position.

In relation to the OAS, he revealed that "Pompeo said that they are promoting the re-election of Luis Almagro at the head of the organization and I told him that Argentina does not welcome that situation".

With information from Télam.

JPE