The Deputy prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hon. Antonio Tajani, is on a mission to Argentina and Brazil starting tonight, for meetings with the institutional authorities of the two countries, representatives of the local and Italian business community that have invested locally, and representatives of the Italian community.
The Minister said: “Latin America is a priority region for Italian foreign policy: close at the cultural and value level, rich in opportunities for our companies. We want to be the voice of this region in Europe. Argentina and Brazil, in particular, are two key countries, also considering the presence of large and deep-rooted communities of Italians and Italian descendants. Already with this mission we aim at strengthening bilateral cooperation at all levels, starting from the economic partnership.”
In Buenos Aires Minister Tajani will have a meeting with the President of the Republic of Argentina, Javier Gerardo Milei.
He will also see Prime Minister Guillermo Francos, the Minister of Justice, Mariano Cúneo Libarona and the Secretary of State for Tourism, Environment and Sport, Daniel Scioli.
During the mission, the Minister will co-chair a round table discussion of Italian and Argentinean entrepreneurs, with a focus on strengthening investment in the country and increasing trade.
Today Minister Tajani will also participate in the ceremony organised in Buenos Aires by local Jewish associations to commemorate the massacre of the 7 October 2023 in Israel.
Minister Tajani stated: “We must endeavour to strengthen our ties, also thanks to the renewed momentum that Argentina’s government wants to give to the country’s economy and competitiveness. The Italian business community is one of the most important in Argentina. More than 300 companies employ about 16,500 workers with a turnover of approximately EUR 2.64 billion in the automotive, energy, infrastructure, agri-food and insurance sectors. It is the sign of uninterrupted cooperation that we intend to strengthen and deepen today, while accompanying the stabilisation process of the country’s macroeconomic and financial framework.”
Minister Tajani will also open the proceedings of a system-wide meeting with all the Italian Ambassadors, the Directors of the Italian Trade Agency’s offices (ITA), and the Directors of the Italian Cultural Institutes in Latin America.
In the framework of the “sports diplomacy” action, the Foreign Minister will sign a declaration of intent with Secretary Scioli on bilateral cooperation in sports diplomacy. He will then inaugurate the Italian Language Week in the World at the Italian School “Cristoforo Colombo”, in the presence of students and teachers from all the Italian accredited private or officially recognized schools in Buenos Aires.
In São Paulo Minister Tajani will meet the Chief of Staff of the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil, Rui Costa dos Santos, and the Governor of São Paulo, Tarcisio De Freitas. He will also open the works of the Italy-Brazil Business Forum, attend the opening ceremony of the new SIMEST office, and meet the Italian community and the business community.“
Minister Tajani said: “This visit to São Paulo is first and foremost an opportunity to strengthen political and economic-commercial relations with a partner of strategic importance. 2024 marks a crucial year for bilateral relations, not only because of the many reciprocal institutional visits and the respective Presidencies of the G7 and G20, but also in light of the 150th anniversary of Italian immigration to Brazil.
Deputy Prime Minister Tajani’s visit to Brazil follows that of President of the Republic Mattarella, the first by an Italian Head of State after 24 years, and precedes the participation of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in the upcoming G20 Summit scheduled in Rio in November.