MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentine President highlights Brazil's return to international forums

Lula is now due in Buenos Aires on Jan. 23 for another round of talks with Fernández

Argentine President Alberto Fernández Monday celebrated Brazil's “return” to all international forums and announced that “we have clearly decided to put the link between Argentina and Brazil back on track with full force,” following his meeting with President Luiz Inácio Lula Da Silva.

“During my years as president I have presided over Mercosur, Celac, represented the continent in the G7 and the G20, and the truth is that Brazil's absence in international forums was very evident,” Fernández explained.

“Lula is a regional leader who will give a very important boost to Latin America,” Fernández went on after explaining that both leaders were “on the same path” toward bilateral and regional objectives. Fernández once again invited Lula over to Buenos Aires for the Jan. 24 Celac summit.

Fernández also admitted that under former President Jair Bolsonaro things were “more difficult.” Since his inauguration in 2019, Bolsonaro distanced himself from part of the international community over his stance regarding the environment and human rights, and also clashed with China and the Arab world.

“Argentina and Brazil are indissolubly united countries and no political moment can disrupt that,” Fernández also said.

Fernández described his meeting with Lula as “extraordinary” and confirmed that the Brazilian President will travel to Buenos Aires on Jan. 23 for an official visit and then, on Jan. 24, he will participate in the Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac) hosted by Argentina as pro tempore president of the bloc.

During Lula's trip, “we hope to be able to make progress in everything we have discussed today, already taking decisions and implementing concrete actions,” Fernández also pointed out.

Also taking part in the meeting were Foreign Ministers Santiago Cafiero and Mauro Vieira, Ambassador Daniel Scioli, and Brazil's Presidential Advisor for International Affairs, Celso Amorim.

“We also talked about the region. We are both convinced that the world has changed, that the regions have a new role to play in globalization,” Fernández also said while insisting on his vision and Lula's “to unite Latin America in a common space.”

“I want to convey my satisfaction with the meeting we have had, which confirms that we are both on the same path and seeking the same destiny for our countries and for South America,” Fernández stressed.

In this sense, he also considered that “President Lula is a regional leader and will give a very important boost to Latin America. His presence in Brazil is the return of that country to all international forums”, and indicated that

Lula, who already ruled South America's largest country between 2003 and 2010, also met Monday with the presidents of Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, and Portugal, and with the King of Spain.