FROM THE DESK OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTER
BUILDING BRIDGES ACROSS THE WORLD
larger country in the world with 53 percent of arable land and
the highest levels of agricultural productivity in the world.
Our country ranks number one in Latin America in the Human
Development and Education index. In addition, it has now
recovered the possibility of having reliable indicators of basic
statistics to measure infl ation rates, employment, and poverty.
We believe that our intelligent insertion at a global level
should not be unidirectional. Currently, no country tends to
aim to a single destination but points in several directions.
Our opportunities are very broad and extend from the United
States, China, Russia, and the European Union to the Asian and
African markets. We look for future new partners. Therefore
today we are in trade negotiations with almost 50 percent of
global GDP.
In a world characterised by a growing global
interdependence, both political and economic -defi ned by the
movement of capital, goods and people, a growing exchange
of data and instant digital communications - the combination
of political, economic, fi nancial, commercial and technological
trends are shortening distances, opening borders and connecting
distant cultures and economies.
During the presidency of the G-20, Argentina has the
purpose to establish a constructive framework for dialogue
and consensus based on an agenda that will focus on education
and the jobs of the future, along with the debates on fair
trade, fi nance, technological revolution, gender, energy, and
environmental issues among others.
In this framework, the Argentine presidency will present
the perspective of the developing countries and especially of
the Latin American countries, with their interests and concerns,
and highlighting the great potential of our peoples and nations.
Argentina’s priorities refl ect its identity as a multicultural
country whose vision of the future lies in greater integration
and exchange with the world.
We know that preside the G-20 is not an easy task. The
consensus is not always assured, but we are convinced that this
is what the G20 is for: gathering diff erent visions and taking on
the challenge to obtain shared benefi ts. That is why we want
to build bridges, not walls.
Jorge Faurie,
Foreign Aff airs Minister, Argentina
5
The Government of President Mauricio Macri, from the be-
ginning of his administration, had a clear objective: Put Argentina
back on the global map. This goal means to restore reliable ties
with other nations and to develop an intelligent insertion policy,
focused on concrete interests but at the same time based on values
such as democracy, human rights, and multilateralism.
In this sense, we are convinced that the Argentine Presidency
of the G-20 (2018) is the most important demonstration,
although not the only one, that the above-mentioned goal is
being achieved and will allow our country to present our own
perspective from the South to the world.
The G-20 is the main forum for international economic,
financial and political cooperation that counts with the
participation of the top world leaders. It is a key space, shared
with India, where debates and concrete decisions about the
main global economic and political challenges take place.
Argentina is proud to be a member of the G-20 and to have
been elected to preside it until December 2018. It will be an
honor for Argentines to receive the maximum leaders of the
world politics in Buenos Aires on November 30th.
For Argentina, the political and economic relationship
with India is a priority. Our link is historical but it has a lot
to develop towards the future. The bilateral commercials
perspectives are promising with a trade balance that exceeded
the 2900 million dollars in 2017 which ranks India as the sixth
destination for Argentine exports, with an increasing number
of Indian companies based in Argentina, particularly in the
sectors of machinery and equipment, computer services IT,
and chemical industry.
I am sure that both nations have wide opportunities to deepen
and diversify trade and investment, political understandings and
technical cooperation between Argentina-India.
Moreover, from the MERCOSUR, our country has the will
to extend the Agreement of Preferential Trade with India in a
substantial manner and develop the possibility of commercial
agreements, putting special attention in the synergies and
complementarities of the productive sectors of both regions.
Argentina is the third largest economy in Latin America,
with the second highest GDP per capita of the region and a
population of more than 43 million inhabitants. It is the eighth