MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

US support for Argentina's “responsible efforts”

United States Secretary of State Colin Powell expressed support for Argentina's economic policy said Foreign Affairs Minister Rafael Bielsa after a private meeting in the US State Department.

"United States will continue supporting the responsible efforts of Argentina on economic policy matters", said Mr. Bielsa who added that the agenda also included Argentina's coming role as United Nations Security Council president next January.

"I must say that if there's a country which has supported the responsible efforts of Argentina since the day this government came to office, that country has been the United States" emphasized Mr. Bielsa in direct reference to the Argentine lengthy negotiations with sovereign bond holders and the International Monetary Fund.

Mr. Bielsa further revealed that since last September both countries have been involved in the search of a mechanism to help identify areas of agreement and disagreement on ten to twelve specific areas of bilateral relations.

Among those areas are fighting terrorism, international peacekeeping operations and nuclear non-proliferation.

The periodic meetings, possibly every quarter, will take place with the objective of ironing out a document establishing goals that need to be achieved and "perhaps within one year" the countries' leaders, presidents George W. Bush and Nestor Kirchner, "could meet to sign the agreement".

President Bush is scheduled to visit Argentina in November 2005 to participate in the Summit of the Americas, and most possibly that is "when the two leaders could stamp the agreement".

In the drafting of the document, which would require "much reciprocal discussion", Mr. Bielsa said he hoped to have full participation of Congress members from both countries because it will include several issues that need legislative approval.

The Bush administration has been supportive of Argentina's structural reforms imposed following the financial crisis and default of December 2001, but political relations have been rather strained at times because of Mr. Kirchner's attitude towards Cuba.