Today in New York, Argentine Foreign Minister Jorge Faurie held a bilateral meeting with the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Alfonso Dastis Quecedo, within the framework of the United Nations General Assembly.
Faurie and Dastis reviewed the Plan of Action for Strengthening the Strategic Partnership between the two countries, which was updated on the occasion of President Macri's State Visit to Spain in February this year, during which twelve bilateral instruments were signed.
Faurie underscored that both countries are working on one of the main goals of bilateral relations: to expand and diversify mutual trade, intensifying efforts for Spanish companies to increase their investments in our country, encouraged by a predictability scenario and a positive business environment. It should be noted that Spain is the second most important investor in Argentina and the eighth destination for our exports.
The Ministers also exchanged views on the reopening of the European market for Argentine biodiesel and the expectations about the progress made in MERCOSUR-EU negotiations.
They also discussed expectations about the upcoming WTO Ministerial Conference, to be held in Buenos Aires on 10-13 December this year.
Argentina is committed to obtaining positive results from this meeting and to continuing its cooperation work with the EU for such purpose. In a current international context in which globalization has been brought into question, Argentina believes that it is fundamental to reach agreements that strengthen the multilateral trade system, with the WTO as its cornerstone.
Faurie thanked Dastis for Spain's support for Argentina's OECD membership bid and Buenos Aires' candidacy to be the host of International Expo 2023.
Furthermore, Faurie and Dastis discussed the election process of the next Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), who will take office in 2018. The Spanish Ambassador Fernando Arias is one of the seven candidates. Faurie stated that he will support Arias, highlighting that Argentina recognizes the important role played by Spain in the Executive Council of the OPCW.