Alberto F and Lula will sign a “great bilateral agreement” in Buenos Aires, according to Scioli

The Argentine ambassador in Brazil, Daniel Scioli, assured yesterday that the national authorities are “advancing rapidly” with their Brazilian counterparts in a “great bilateral agreement”, with understandings that will cover points such as trade -with an extension of the compensation system of 180-day imports– and financing for the construction of the President Néstor Kirchner Gas Pipeline.

Scioli estimated that this agreement between Argentina and its largest trading partner will mean a “very positive impact” in terms of “energy, infrastructure, industrial and agri-food integration.”

“I was at the inauguration of Lula Da Silva and at the meeting the day after with President Alberto Fernández and Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero, where there were very important definitions that have to do with this privileged relationship, as he defines it with Argentina,” Scioli indicates in radio statements.

In this sense, the ambassador referred to the common agenda between both countries and the “great agreement” that the leaders will sign “next January 23”, when Lula Da Silva visits the country.

“This is going to be turned into a binational agreement that is coming, with a very positive impact for regional economies, for the economy as a whole in terms of energy, infrastructure, industrial and agri-food integration,” he explained about an agreement that give a “great envoy” to Argentina.

Likewise, Scioli excluded that he “made himself available” to the Brazilian Economy Minister, Fernando Haddad, and the Brazilian Foreign Minister, Mauro Vieira, with whom they met yesterday. “I was the first ambassador to be received and quickly address this agenda,” he remarked.

He added that, after Lula’s inauguration in Brazil, “great energy, industrial, financial and agri-food integration is coming”, because “all the conditions are in place to give a great deal” to the relationship between the two States. After emphasizing that it is still linked to the difficulties in the bilateral during the presidency of Jair Bolsonaro, since he took office the Embassy has seen a reversal of a relationship that was found at the “worst moment in history”, reinstating Brazil as the first commercial partner. Scioli emphasized that “the fact that the two presidents have a great personal and political harmony, and that they instruct their ministers to advance in this objective makes everything much easier”, and affirmed that, although in the long term the objective is to aim towards a single currency, immediately seek to “strengthen the payment system in local currencies” with Brazil. With his instrumentation, the ambassador will affect that the compensation of imports will go from being daily to a term of 180 days, which – he explained – “will allow decompressing the reserves immediately for imports while the next harvest comes and is finished the gas pipeline”, in addition to making it possible for there to be “no type of restrictions on bilateral trade”. The measure, which is outlined between the central banks and the economic portfolios of both countries, will also bring a benefit to Brazil by “increasing bilateral trade with Argentina.” For his part, Scioli also indicated that Brazil will finance the second stage of the construction of the President Néstor Kirchner Gas Pipeline through the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (Bndes) of that country.