President Luis Lacalle Pou will meet with his Argentine counterpart Javier Milei This afternoon, from 4pm, in Pink House, after several attempts by the Uruguayan president to hold a bilateral meeting with the Argentine head of state after his inauguration last December. The agenda will be open, sources from the presidency confirmed to Ambit.
The long-awaited meeting finally takes place within the framework of the activities to mark the 30th anniversary of the attack on the AMIA in the neighboring country, as confirmed Ambit; and after several winks and questions – almost in equal parts – from this side of the River Plate towards the Argentine government and the same Milei.
Despite the delays and the various comings and goings to complete the bilateral meeting — Lacalle Pou has been inviting his Argentine counterpart to Montevideo Since he was one of the few presidents to attend his inauguration on December 10, and one of the first to congratulate him upon learning of his victory in the November runoff election, the relationship between the two countries has undergone a significant change with the new government. And although there was no shortage of criticism, the Uruguayan president did not hesitate to recognize the progress achieved in the seven months of the libertarian administration.
A relationship built on winks and comments
The truth is that the expected meeting comes after several comments, both positive and with a more critical tone, from Lacalle Pou toward Milei. The winks, mostly – but less striking – always revolved around the achievements reached in the talks between both countries, such as the historic agreement to expand the dredging of the Port from Montevideo at 14 meters or the open skies agreementeven more recent.
On the critical side, although with a tone that was far from seeking to cause controversy, the Uruguayan president also marked some differences with his Argentine counterpart, even in the neighboring country, when he participated in the annual dinner of the Freedom Foundation, and defended a “strong State” against those who consider the State to be the greatest enemy of society. The strongest “crossing”, however, occurred in the framework of the last summit of the Mercosur, in the absence of the libertarian leader: “If Mercosur is so important, all the presidents should be here,” he questioned Lacalle Pou.
Despite this, the president never hid his “optimism” for the renewed link with Argentina, in the hope of finding a strong ally within Mercosur that will allow it to move forward with its own development agenda for the country, headed by greater flexibility in the regional bloc, but with intermediate steps such as improved connectivity, measures that contributed to reducing the exchange rate difference and agreements to improve the country’s competitiveness.
In search of consolidating the conservative axis
Both in the relationship with Javier Milei like the one he maintains with the Paraguayan Santiago Peña, Lacalle Pou sees an opportunity to consolidate the conservative axis of the region, after the left-wing tendency was dominant for several years in the bloc. Ideological coincidences weigh almost as much as programmatic ones, which, at the end of the day, are what matters most to the government and to Uruguayan interests.
The meetings are becoming more frequent, and the trip to Buenos Aires to participate in the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the attack on the Jewish mutual AMIA He has already achieved, as an added bonus, the realization of the bilateral meeting with the Argentine president. In this scenario he will also coincide with Peña; while he will meet with both of them again in eleven days, for the inauguration of the traditional Rural Exhibition in Palermo.
It is also expected that the three presidents, who are close in their ideas about private activity and the free market, although with disagreements about the role of the State, will agree on Paris on the occasion of the inauguration of the Olympic Games.
Participation in commemorative activities
President Lacalle Pou will participate in various activities within the framework of the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of one of the most terrible attacks suffered by the neighboring country. In addition to being present at the already traditional event organized by the victims’ relatives and the Delegation of Argentine Jewish Associations (DAIA) the tribute mural at Pasteur 633 —where the terrorist attack occurred—, on Thursday 18th; it will also be part of the conference Building a Safer Futureorganized by the World Jewish Congress.
For its part, the formula of the National Party made of Alvaro Delgado and Valeria Ripoll She was also invited by the World Jewish Congress and the Chamber of Deputies of Argentina to participate in the activities and, particularly, in the Parliamentary Forum against Terrorismwhich will take place between Wednesday 17 and Thursday 18. In any case, the candidates will not travel to Buenos Aires with the president, according to sources from the campaign confirmed to Ambit.
Source: Ambito
