MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Reliable, accountable and pragmatic.

Falklands/Malvinas as a preponderant issue, Mercosur and FTAA as non incompatible options, the unquestionable influence of the United States in the IMF and World Bank, Argentina's participation in the Iraq rebuilding process under the United Nations umbrella, are some of the main guidelines of President Kirchner's administration foreign policy spelled out by his Foreign Affairs Minister Rafael Bielsa during his visit on Wednesday to Congress.

A reliable, accountable and pragmatic foreign policy is how some of the most respected Argentine analysts described Mr. Bielsa testimony in the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, quiet a distance from the Fidel Castro-Hugo Chávez (Cuba's life president and Venezuelan head of state) bandwagon show that overshadowed, to surprised foreign eyes, the relatively unknown Patagonian governor's assumption ceremony on Sunday May 25.

Mr. Bielsa anticipated to Senators that Falklands/Malvinas is a preponderant issue of the new administration's agenda but cautioned that the recovery of the Islands was a "long road". The ultimate achievement of the claim demands that "Argentina becomes an attractive country" for the inhabitants of the Islands; a reliable and prosperous Argentina that can offer Falklands' residents "better and closer services and goods" than Britain. "If Argentina had better public hospitals and good public services close to Malvinas", it could influence the attitude of Islanders.

"This is far better than inviting someone to have tea or sending pelouche Whinny the Poohs", added Mr. Bielsa in direct reference to the "seduction policy" of former Foreign Affairs Minister Guido Di Tella during the Carlos Menem administration.

However opposition Senator Rodolfo Terragno cautioned Mr. Bielsa that since 1984 Falklanders have full British citizenship, a fact that apparently the Minister ignored.

Emphasizing on the Falklands issue Mr. Bielsa revealed to the Senators than in 1982 he had volunteered for the war effort but was never called. He also pointed out his surprise to the fact that no major avenue in Argentina has been named after heroes of the Falklands war.

It was during the hearing that Mr. Bielsa announced that President Kirchner will be travelling to Britain next July 13/14, specially invited by Primer Minister Tony Blair to participate in a "Third Way" summit of progressive world leaders that will include Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Chile's Ricardo Lagos. The Anthony Giddens masterminded Third Way that supposedly guides a revamped socialist Tony Blair government is the promising option that has emerged to counteract between "savage capitalism" and the obsolete "welfare state".

Mr. Kirchner will be second Argentine president to visit Britain following the 1982 conflict. Mr. Menem was the first in 1998.

Mercosur and FTAA

Contrary to what happened during the electoral campaign when candidate Kirchner clearly identified himself with Mercosur and regional integration, accusing Mr. Menem of promoting foreign alignment by submission to the United States sponsored Free Trade Association of the Americas, FTAA, Mr. Bielsa criticized the "Mercosur-FTAA" option and said they were compatible and even complementary projects.

"We must advance FTAA negotiations from a strong Mercosur stance", indicated Mr. Bielsa reiterating what has been the 4+1 official policy of the South American customs union block.

However Mr. Bielsa believes that Mercosur suffers from a proliferation of public statements while lacking substance, and therefore the "historic opportunity" that the coincidence of the Lula-Kirchner presidencies has delivered to the region.

Mr. Bielsa had advanced the "compatibility" of Mercosur and FTAA projects during his meeting with Chilean counterpart Soledad Alvear who this Friday will finally be signing a much debated and long expected free trade agreement with the United States.

The more pragmatic approach of Brazil and Chile towards the United States seems to be the path to be followed by a Kirchner administration, and not necessarily the anti global festivities in the streets of Buenos Aires last May 25.

US Secretary of State Collin Powel will be visiting Buenos Aires for a few hours next Monday and President Kirchner will be received in Washington in an official state visit sometime in the coming three months.

In line with pragmatism Mr. Bielsa points out to the "preponderant voice" that the United States government has in international organizations such as the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and Inter American Development Bank, all of them crucial for an Argentina cut off from private credit after having defaulted in December 2001.

Reliability is another clue component of the coming Argentine foreign policy.

"Argentina must stand where the world believes she will be, and not keep jumping between two, three different positions regarding an only issue", stressed Mr. Bielsa who also said he was contrary to involve foreign policy in domestic affairs.

"And much less when a superpower is undergoing a complicated moment".

Mr. Bielsa in the next few days will have to advise President Kirchner on sending Argentine gendarmes to Iraq to help with law and order. Given the reconciliation spirit in the last G 8 Evian summit, all indicates Mr. Bielsa favours Argentine participation in the Iraq reconstruction process under the Security Council umbrella.

Quiet a change from the now First Lady statement during the campaign trail when referring to the Iraq conflict and the alliance Senator Cristina Fernández de Kirchner remarked that "those attacking that little country (Iraq) are the same as those in Malvinas".