Alberto Fernández met with the President of Portugal to analyze the world situation and strengthen his strategy with the IMF

(Special Envoy in Europe) – The Belém National Palace, seat of the Presidency of Portugal, was the official start of the tour which Alberto Fernandez He imagines it as a geopolitical move aimed at gaining majority support on the IMF’s board of directors when he proposes his strategy for negotiating the $ 44 billion debt inherited from Mauricio Macri.

The Argentine President met for an hour with his Portuguese colleague, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, to discuss the bilateral relationship between the two countries, marked by soybean exports, Portuguese fishing in the Atlantic Ocean and the need for Argentina to strengthen the adhesion of most European countries to its negotiation proposal with the IMF and the Paris Club.

Before his arrival at the official seat of the presidency, Alberto Fernández took advantage of his time to visit the old town with the Minister of the Economy, Martín Guzmán, and the secretaries Vitobello (general of the presidency), Biondi (media and communication) and Oliveri (cult). There was not a minute for lunch, and the head of state confirmed the absence of tourists due to the low traffic in the face of harassment from COVID-19.

At the Belém Palace, after 1 p.m. Argentinian time, Alberto Fernández found himself alone with Rebelo de Sousa, or simply “Marcelo”, as a charismatic leader, curator and political heir to a traditional family that supported the dictatorship of Antonio Olivera Salazar is known here.

And then Foreign Minister Felipe Solá, Minister Martín Guzmán, Secretaries Vitobello, Biondi and Oliveri, and Argentine Ambassador in Lisbon, Rodolfo Gil, entered the audience.

Before the public only, the president signed the Book of Honor of the Belém Palace, a political tradition respected for decades in Portugal. “With sincere gratitude for the hospitality that Argentina always receives from its dear and beautiful Portuguese people”, Alberto Fernández wrote under the watchful eye of Rebela de Sousa.

Marcelo shares with the Argentine President his position to defer payments to the international credit organization amid the global crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and his support is important due to the political influence he has over Portuguese society.

The Portuguese head of state obtained his re-election by a large majority, has a very good public image and often surprises the media: A skilled ocean swimmer, he was once found in a bathing suit queuing for a supermarket.

In addition to the bilateral relationship, They will discuss the global situation experienced by the pandemic, the limited progress of the Mercosur-European Union agreement due to pressure from France and Ireland.and the climate change crisis, which worries both Argentina and Portugal.

Thus, in Lisbon, the president began his lightning tour through Europe. President Alberto Fernández is staying at the Eurostars Museum, a four-star hotel in the heart of Lisbon, which at the time of his arrival -13 in Portugal, 9 in Argentina- seemed calm and with a spring temperature: 17 degrees.

The first lady traveled with the head of state, Fabiola Yanez, The Chancellor Felipe Solá, the Minister of the Economy, Martin guzman, the secretary general of the presidency, Julio Vitobello, the secretary of worship, Guillermo Oliveri, and the media secretary, Juan Pablo Biondi.

The president – sporty and relaxed – arrived in Ezeiza last night from Olivos farm aboard the official helicopter. He greeted the crew and reporters and stood at the front of the plane with his entourage.

He took advantage of the flight time -11 hours- to read the reports prepared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, talk with Solá, Guzmán and Oliveriand, after a roast beef dinner with rustic potatoes, fall asleep before you start a four-country tour in seven days. Once disembarking in Lisbon, the president got off at Humberto Delgado airport already dressed in a suit.

The trip took place at an Aerolineas Argentinas plane, which Alberto Fernández will use for the remainder of the tour, which also includes Madrid, Paris, Rome and Vatican City. For the first time in 10 years, a delegation of journalists from the public and private media has been authorized to travel on the plane carrying the head of state.

In addition to meeting his colleague, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, the President will meet the Prime Minister of Portugal, Antonio Costa tomorrow.. The Socialist Prime Minister shares with Alberto Fernández an identical perspective on the need to alleviate the economic situation of the medium-sized countries that are debtors of the IMF, in addition to achieving an international mechanism to enable equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines which have not yet smoothly reached nations with little geopolitical power like Argentina.

At his Portuguese level, the president will also address the climate change situation and the Paris Agreement, a question on the global agenda which is now essential under the impetus of Joseph biden, that unlike Donald Trump believes that the United States should lead the preservation of the environment.

Likewise, Alberto Fernández will deal with De Sousa and Costa the political situation of the Mercosur-European Union agreement, which is not yet in force due to some agricultural demands from France and Ireland which block its approval in the parliaments of all EU countries. Without this legal ratification, to which is added the delay in the congresses of the States of Mercosur, the historic bilateral treaty resembles the Archives of the Indies.

At the end of his stay in Lisbon, the president and his entourage they will fly directly to Madrid. Tuesday, in the Spanish capital, Alberto You will be received at the Zarzuela Palace by King Felipe VI then you will have lunch with Pedro Sánchez, head of government. As in Portugal, Alberto Fernández is seeking the necessary votes from the IMF’s board of directors to reach an agreement that will prevent Argentina from disbursing more than $ 4 billion between September and December, which would deplete the central bank’s reserves.

In the following days, the president’s agenda includes hearings with the presidents of France, Emmanuel Macron; from the Italian government, Sergio Mattarella; and the Council of Ministers of that country, Mario draghi, among others.

Meanwhile, Alberto Fernández has scheduled a meeting alone with Pope Francis this Thursday morning in the Aula Paulo VI studio in Vatican City. Finally, the head of state will return to the country on Friday 14.

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