MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Quirno chosen for Argentine FM post

Quirno has long been a collaborator of Luis Toto Caputo

President Javier Milei has named current Secretary of Finance Pablo Quirno as Argentina's next Foreign Minister, replacing Gerardo Werthein, the Office of the President (OPRA) confirmed in a statement on Thursday. The appointment, effective Monday, October 27, follows Werthein's resignation the day prior.

Quirno has long been a close collaborator of Economy Minister Luis Toto Caputo. His appointment is framed by the administration as a move to “deepen the link between the Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Economy, and the pro-market vision of the administration as it faces the second stage of his government.”

“Minister Quirno will focus on opening Argentina to the world, working on the trade agreements necessary to boost the economy and build more and better links between international markets and Argentine producers,” the presidential statement emphasized.

The OPRA also thanked Werthein, noting his service was “instrumental, together with the Ministry of Economy and the Argentine Embassy in Washington, in the largest bilateral agreement in our country's history with the United States.”

Quirno was also described as “a key member of the economic team that managed to avert the greatest crisis in the country's history, and a fundamental part of the construction of the Argentine miracle.”

“It is an honor to take on this new responsibility. Many thanks to President Javier Milei for his trust and to Minister Luis Caputo for so many shared challenges. We will continue to work as a team!” Quirno posted on social media.

A graduate in Economics from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, the new Foreign Minister brings a strong background in international finance and a long-standing working relationship with Minister Caputo.

In the private sector, he was Director for Latin America at JP Morgan in New York and a member of the bank's Regional Management Committee, advising governments and companies across the Americas, Europe, and Asia on corporate restructuring, privatizations, and mergers and acquisitions.

His career in Argentine public service began in 2016. He later became Caputo's chief of staff at the Ministry of Finance, where he assisted in securing the loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and promoting the Public-Private Partnership initiative. He also had a brief tenure on the Board of Directors of the Central Bank in 2018, also under Caputo.

Milei's government faces a crucial hurdle in next Sunday's midterm elections, which could determine the future of Libertarian policies in the country.