MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

“Malvinas sovereignty claim is standing and non negotiable”, anticipates Macri in New York

Macri is scheduled to address the General Assembly on Tuesday but has a full agenda of political and financial interviews as part of “new Argentina policy”

Argentina's claim over the Malvinas Islands is standing and non negotiable, were the first words of president Mauricio Macri when he arrived on Sunday to New York to attend this week the UN General Assembly. The statement follows the strong reactions to the last Wednesday Argentine/UK joint cooperation statement which includes a South Atlantic chapter strongly questioned in some political circles.

 Macri is scheduled to address the General Assembly on Tuesday but has a full agenda of political and financial interviews and contacts as part of his policy of showing the “new Argentina” integrated to the world, reliable, open to dialogue, and prepared to bear the responsibilities of such a role.

“The sovereignty of the Malvinas Islands is a standing claim and not negotiable for Argentines”, underlined Macri on reaching the New York hotel where he will be staying, where the media was waiting at Sunday midday.

Macri anticipated that his speech to the UN assembly will emphasize in showing the world Argentina's determination to work jointly in facing global challenges, among which he mentioned terrorism, refugees, drugs trade and climate change.

“These are some of the issues we agreed on at the recent G20 summit held in China, and I will be including them in my message” added Macri.

As to refugees, “we want to collaborate with the challenge, and as much as possible will try to help with the logistics of this major international issue”. Macri recalled that Argentina has a significant Syrian Lebanese community.

The Argentine president has also scheduled meetings with the Italian Prime minister, Renzi, ex president Bill Clinton, head of state Michel Temer from Brazil and, London mayor Sadik Khan, among others.

A meeting with PM Theresa May should not come as a surprise, following the joint cooperation statement announced last week in Buenos Aires, and the constructive spirit surrounding bilateral relations.

Macri will also attend the annual event of the Clinton Global Initiative foundation and a seminar organized by the Financial Times in Wall Street under the heading “The New Argentina”.

At the Clinton foundation event Macri will be able to meet corporations' CEOs, heads of foundations and NGOs, world organizations leaders and from international banking.

The “Syria Program” is a great challenge for Macri since the plan anticipates Argentina will receive 3.000 refugees. The program who travelled with his wife, is accompanied by his chief of staff Marcos Pena, Strategic Affairs advisor Fulvio Pompeo and foreign minister Susana Malcorra.

This year's UN assembly is considered special, not necessarily because it's the first for Macri and PM May, but rather it is the last for US president Obama and for UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

On Tuesday morning there will be a UN official welcome ceremony for heads of state and government, to be followed by the round of speeches, the first by Brazil's Temer; Macri is seventh on Tuesday's list.

Anyhow at midday there will be a break so that the distinguished visitors share lunch hosted by Ban Ki-moon and in the evening, Macri and wife will be attending Obama's reception at the Lotett New York Palace Hotel.

Finally on Wednesday, Macri is scheduled to attend a high level meeting of the “Paris Accord” on climate change at the General Assembly which will officially make effective the launching of the much debated agreement.

The Argentine leader will then meet at his hotel with Klaus Schwab, head of the World Economic Forum; Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson; Aes Corporation representative Scarlet Alvarez and We Work CEO.