This short week and the month of January will test if the Argentine administration of president Mauricio Macri can continue to build up Central Bank reserves following on the decision to end the dollar clamp, let the foreign exchange float, together with the prospect of loans and hoarded grain sales.
Tierra del Fuego tourism industry praised the Argentine government's decisions to end the dollar clamp and make more transparent the foreign money exchange because this will make the country, and Tierra del Fuego, highly competitive internationally. However they also cautioned that consideration must be given to domestic and regional tourists which make up almost 45% of the number of the people visiting the extreme south of Argentina.
The Argentine government will issue bonds worth US$5 billion to be auctioned this week to pay back debt from imports during the previous Cristina Fernandez administration, according to a resolution published by the current government.
Argentina's divisive 2013 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Iran was finally dropped became after Argentine Federal Judges Juan Carlos Gemignani and Angela Ledesma accepted a request filed by the president Mauricio Macri administration Justice Ministry to drop the Executive’s appeal to the Federal Cassation Court.
Argentina's foreign minister Susana Malcorra stated that the conflict with the United Kingdom over the Falklands/Malvinas Islands sovereignty is “a constitutional issue, not optional”, and described the position of the former Cristina Fernandez administration on the matter as “too tough”, while pledging that the “conflict must and will be integrated into a wider perspective”.
In another attempt to display unity and consensus on 'State objectives' policy, Argentina's foreign minister Susana Malcorra welcomed six of her predecessors for lunch and a “frank” exchange of points of view on Argentina’s foreign policy.
Malvinas Islands sovereignty claim is a “State objective”, and Argentine diplomacy “will do everything possible to reach a political consensus to design a State strategy” underlined Argentina's Deputy foreign minister Carlos Foradori during an open debate on the 50th anniversary of the UN General Assembly Resolution 2065
The Argentine government announced that it was nominating Carlos Sersale di Cerisano and Jorge Faurie, professional diplomats as next ambassadors in London and Paris. Both have long diplomatic careers and are considered very efficient and knowledgeable in international relations and global trade.
Argentine president Mauricio Macri pledged full support for Mercosur which he defined as a 'long term strategic project', called for a quick trade agreement with the European Union and closer ties with 'our partners from the Pacific Alliance'.
After almost three years tilted and sunken in Argentina's main naval base, Puerto Belgrano, the British built missile destroyer, 'ARA Santisima Trinidad' was finally refloated. The plan is to recondition the unit which was involved in the 1982 Falklands conflict and convert her into a museum.