MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

“We're closer to Rio than to Paris”

Argentine Foreign Affairs Secretary Rafael Bielsa debut in the United Nations proved an excellent opportunity to have a closer insight of President Nestor Kirchner administration's objectives in foreign policy, particularly the new “strategic alliance” with Brazil.

When asked by the Argentine press why the priority of Brazil over the United States, Mr. Bielsa said "it was more a matter of fright than love. Argentina finally recognised its deep (Latin) American destiny. We have more in common than differences with those countries that surround us. For many years Argentina wanted to eat like in Paris, dress in London and lately suntan in Miami. But the truth is that a Buenos Aires neighbourhood looks more like a neighbourhood in Rio than in Paris".

"What are the economic advantages of this regional closeness?"

Mr. Bielsa argued that Chile has a "concept" leadership, while Brazil's is volume. "Argentina has five Nobel Prizes so it can humbly work to achieve a leadership of concept with volume". Linking with Chile "means they change scale and we have access to the Pacific". With Brazil, "we have an industrial power with which to work internationally. We're not so much interested in the Brazilian market as jointly working with them overseas".

Further on Mr. Bielsa admitted that Argentina has a great cultural challenge ahead, from a showy, rowdy, unpredictable country "to one that effectively does what we said that we were going to do". "As Secretary of State Colin Powell told us during his recent visit to Buenos Aires, it's not a question of obedience but rather standing up for what you've said".

Mr. Bielsa added that Argentina "for too long has turned too many corners without turning its position lights on" plus targeting objectives that were beyond its reach such as "mediating in the Middle East; a Nobel Prize for the peace efforts of one of our presidents or a stratospheric jet that could take us to Japan in a couple of hours, which had its media impact in stupidities such as carnal relations, seduction policies or automatic alignment, which as a common citizen I felt most humiliating".

Regarding relations with the United States and the Free Trade Association of the Americas, FTAA, sponsored by Washington Mr Bielsa indicated that the project was good but "we've chosen a triangle with Brazil and Mercosur in one of them and the US and European Union in the other two. Argentina can't discard any option and we're currently negotiating FTAA on the 4+1 basis".

As to sending Argentine troops to the US effort in Iraq Mr. Bielsa explained that "Chile said no to the US request and a week ago signed a free trade agreement with Washington. If relations are solid, reliable, mature, you privilege context, the quality of the relation and not the moment. Our position in the issue is legally solid rock. In the framework of UN resolution 1483, we have offered peace keeping staff, not peace enforcement personnel, and obviously under the mandate of Mr. Vieira de Mello, Mr. Kofi Annan personal Iraq envoy".

Mr. Bielsa went further and admitted he had a positive opinion of the France, Germany, Russia block that emerged to counterbalance the Bush administration "preventive war" national security strategy.

Regarding Argentina's vote in the controversial Cuban human rights question, Mr. Bielsa assured the country will no longer have an erratic attitude. "We're going to closely analyze all the background, Cuba's and Argentina's record and positions, and whatever motive Mr. Castro surprises us with. If Fidel comes out with a hanging rope and a whip, I'll be sorry for him".

As to Argentina's position in international affairs Mr. Bielsa underlined he never shared the opinion of those who believed Argentina must have a specific destiny, or those who support the idea of "the ten leading countries of the world".

"I've always been concerned with the well being of my fellow countrymen, and there are too many of them now suffering which is inadmissible. Foreign policy should be geared to help incorporate those fellow countrymen, so that the long term is not lunch or supper but rather the end of the month".

Regarding bilateral relations with the United States, the most pressing and worrisome issue identified by Mr. Bielsa was "Argentina's foreign debt negotiations".