Foreign Secretary meets Argentine Minister of Foreign Affairs
Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond met the new Argentine Minister of Foreign Affairs, Susana Malcorra
Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond met the new Argentine Minister of Foreign Affairs, Susana Malcorra, in London this morning. Minister of State for the Americas, Hugo Swire also attended.
They discussed ways to strengthen UK-Argentina relations through increased co-operation in areas of mutual interest, including trade, anti-corruption and tackling the drugs trade.
Speaking after the meeting, the Foreign Secretary, Philip Hammond said:
I was pleased to meet Foreign Minister Malcorra and we had a warm, wide-ranging discussion. During their meeting at Davos earlier this year, the Prime Minister and President Macri set out an aspiration to embark on a new phase of relations between our two countries. Foreign Minister Malcorra and I discussed how to take this forward by developing a strong relationship based upon areas of mutual interest, such as increased trade links, combating drugs, crime, and corruption, and closer co-operation on science and technology.
The Foreign Secretary reiterated that the UK’s position on the Falkland Islands remained unchanged, and that the 2013 referendum gave a confirmation of the Islanders’ wish to remain a UK Overseas Territory.
Minister Malcorra is currently in London to attend the Anti-Corruption Summit.
Further information
This is the first bilateral meeting between UK and Argentine Foreign Ministers in London since 2002.
Prime Minister David Cameron met Argentina’s President Macri in Davos in January. They discussed economic reform; trade and investment; and the Falkland Islands.
Follow the Foreign Secretary on twitter @PHammondMP
Follow Foreign Office Minister Hugo Swire on twitter @HugoSwire
Follow the Foreign Office on twitter @foreignoffice