link could have been associated with a delay in the intellectual
perception of the social majority of a progressively growing
phenomenon that, albeit not disruptive, had not succeeded in
attracting enough attention to be recognized as such.
It is worth mentioning that, for example, untimely
migratory fl ows derived from political crises of magnitude,
capture this attention immediately. On the contrary, continuous
migratory fl ows, of high interpretative and symbolic density,
but which gently drain across the borders, are only perceived
by the recipient society after a considerable time has elapsed,
and when its presence is evident to any inhabitant of the
country or region.
Secondly, the following should be addressed. That is the
progressive shift of an alternative economy to a capitalist
economy or to the concept of development are issues that
should not be neglected when thinking about a deeper link
between India and Argentina.
India, as a leading country in initiatives and projects
associated with what can be called, with the licenses of the
case, “social economy” 3 , off ers the possibility for Argentina to
explore, from the perspective of that country - with all that this
implies in terms of cultural and socio-economic diff erences
- new possibilities of complementation and cooperation that
arise from the pattern of production and traditional exchange
of goods and services produced by a mixed economy (market
plus State).
Another aspect that certainly does not exhaust the possible
dimensions that may determine a future of richer economic
linkage between both countries, is that of a conception of
development, and therefore of the link between countries. An
approach that could be more associated with concepts such
as “good living” or “the happiness of man”, than the mere
provision of more quantity and quality of material goods 4 .
This reopening towards the spiritual dimension of man in
Western countries entails more than the emotional dimension
on a biological basis, like that explored in Experimental
Psychology and in Neurosciences, but it brings us back to
the multidimensionality of the human rational soul as it is
known in the West after Aristotle and St. Thomas Aquinas.
The enrichment of economic analysis by placing man as
the axis and not the profi t-maximizing rational agent subject
to restrictions (Thaler, 1980), implies a remarkable change
in how society and exchange are thought of, including the
exchange of goods and services between countries.
India and Argentina, two countries with highly diverse
cultural and religious traditions that permeate and determine
men (economic agents, in the Positive Economic Theory)
require exploring and deepening alterity from the perspective
of the other to favor a dense economic integration. In addition,
it will lead to an expansion in items and activities that today
are not recognised by the other as a “good” that enriches, nor
that reaching that status can expand the base of the exchange
(Rodriguez de la Vega, 2016).
While this approach is especially relevant to cultural and
14
educational services, it should not only be circumscribed to
them. This also infl uences the formation of an ecosystem that
is suffi ciently diff erent, because it is so much more complex
and multidimensional, that it changes what defines the
ecosystem itself, and for which material goods and relatively
novel services is required in each country.
For example, the beginning or extension of the practice
of a religion diff erent from that of the majority of the local
population, or of a practice of religious origin but that can
be found or transmitted in a secularized form, presupposes
the need for training, creation of appropriate environment
or supply of necessary objects among others, that can be
provided by the other country or result in direct investments
and migrations, among other things. The same applies to
cookery or traditional artistic and scientifi c expressions.
In this way, as emerges in Massot (2017), closer and
deeper socio-cultural links can be, not only relevant in
themselves, but also effi cient ways to promote and diversify
the pattern of production, direct investment, and exchange of
goods and services, including tourism and education, between
both countries.
Conclusion
Strengthen the economic exchange between Argentina
and India could imply more variables than traditional ones.
From some perspectives, more than money and good
contracts are required to build a deep long term relation.
Different traditions, culture, religions, history, regional
environment, and social and political challenges suggest that it
is possible to increase bilateral trade and investment working
together in exploring alternative ways to an ambitious free
trade agreement in the short run.
Such alternative and productive ways include non-tariff
barriers (sanitary and phytosanitary barriers, customs,
technical barriers to trade, etc.), joint direct investments in
tourism, manufacturing, and agriculture; research programs
in R+D+I; student and scientist exchange programs; cultural
events; joint projects in creative industries, among others.
Finally, larger diplomatic missions in both countries
should be necessary to support such multiple road bilateral
strategy.
1
2
3
4
The question of the import and export of energy and fuels
varied throughout history and, although mostly defi cient,
has had periods of positive energy balance. This is also
observed in mining and fi shing.
For example hospital and home equipment.
For an introduction to the debate on this and other related
concepts, see Elgue (2014).
As an example, see the idea enunciated by Unceta (2015).
Other examples are SIDBI (2008), Shastri (2009), Das
(2014), etc.
* The auhor is researcher at Argentine Council for the International
Relations (CARI) and the University of Salvador, Argentina (USAL)