MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina hands over regional defense leadership to Peru

Petri (L) passed on the symbolic baton to Peru's Astudillo

Argentina's Defense Minister Luis Petri Tuesday handed over the pro tempore presidency of the XVII Conference of Defense Ministers of the Americas (CMDA) to his Peruvian colleague Walter Astudillo during a ceremony at the Libertador Building (Army Headquarters) in Buenos Aires.

Petri highlighted Argentina's efforts in promoting mutual trust, regional cooperation, and democratic values during its leadership. He expressed hope that under Peru's leadership, the forum will continue advancing towards a safer and more prosperous hemisphere.

“Last year, the Argentine Republic assumed with responsibility the leadership of this forum, aware of the fundamental role that the Conference of Defense Ministers of the Americas represents in building mutual trust, promoting regional cooperation, and defending the values that unite us as democratic nations of the hemisphere,” said Petri.

He also hoped that Peru's term at the helm of the regional organization would “be an opportunity to continue advancing in the construction of a safer, more stable, and prosperous hemisphere for all our peoples.”

Astudillo expressed gratitude for the trust placed in Peru and underlined the importance of defining policies and strategies to address social, economic, and political challenges.

He also pledged to assume its commitment during the 2025-2026 biennium to strengthen security and defense strategies while underlining the importance of the regional forum made up of 34 nations of the Americas as a space where the policies and strategies that will guide the development of the countries of the hemisphere in defense matters are defined.

“In this space, policies and strategies that will guide the development of our countries are defined, where solutions to social, economic, and political challenges are promoted, allowing us to move towards a more just, inclusive, and prosperous world,” the Peruvian representative stressed.

The group last met in the Argentine city of Mendoza last October, where attendees signed the so-called Mendoza Declaration on regional actions tackling drug trafficking, terrorism, as well as cyber defense, and climate disasters. The CMDA, established in 1995, is a biennial multilateral forum that promotes cooperation and integration among member countries.