MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina and Chile sign key lithium agreement

The agreement “represents a milestone for Chile, being of great value for the National Lithium Strategy,” van Kleveren explained

Authorities from Argentina and Chile Friday signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a Binational Lithium and Salt Flats Working Group which represents a significant step towards strategic cooperation in this regard, it was reported in Santiago and Buenos Aires following negotiations dating back to June 2022.

“The group constitutes an environment that allows the promotion and development of joint actions through the exchange of experiences between companies and scientific teams, the education and training of human resources and the encouragement of the development of the different productive chains related to this industry”, the Argentine Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The new document provides for the exchange of experiences between companies and scientific teams, as well as the formation and training of human resources in the lithium industry, it was explained. It also addresses key aspects such as environmental, economic, and social sustainability, human resources training, and value addition in the lithium industry.

The agreement was closed during a video conference attended by Foreign Ministers Alberto van Klaveren of Chile and Santiago Cafiero of Argentina.

“It represents a milestone for Chile, being of great value for the National Lithium Strategy, which aims to incorporate capital, technology, sustainability, and value addition to the productive sector in harmony with the communities, linking Chile's economic development with the change towards a green economy at a global level,” van Kleveren said.

“Chile and Argentina are key players in the lithium market, so it is beneficial for both countries to act in a coordinated manner in this area, so that we can move forward in collaboration towards a development that is more productive, more inclusive, and, above all, more sustainable for the region,” Chile's Undersecretary for International Economic Relations, Claudia Sanhueza also pointed out.

Together with Bolivia, Argentina and Chile make up the so-called “lithium triangle,” a region known for its large salt flats in the world.