Governments of Argentina and Brazil sign cooperation agreements in several areas

The governments of Argentina and Brazil signed yesterday, Monday, a set of cooperation agreements on defense, health, scientific and Antarctic cooperation, as well as economic and financial integration, within the framework of the official visit of the Brazilian President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and the “relaunching” of bilateral relations.

The Argentine President, Alberto Fernández, and Lula signed a joint declaration, and both endorsed the signing of the agreements by high-level officials of the two countries.

The Argentine Minister of Defense, Jorge Taiana, and the Brazilian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mauro Vieira, signed a letter of intent for the bilateral Defense Production Integration Project.

The agreement provides for signing a contract between the Argentine Army and the Italian-based company Iveco Defence Vehicles “for the incorporation of 156 Wheeled Armored Combat Vehicles”.

The agreement contemplates “the transfer of technology, the progressive increase in the manufacture of parts in Argentina, the logistic support and for the training of crews and technical personnel, ” a press release from the Argentine Presidency.

Secondly, the Ministers of Health of Argentina, Carla Vizzotti, and Brazil, Nísia Trindade Lima, signed a joint declaration that commits both countries to work on issues such as gender equality, sexual and reproductive rights, mental health, and technical cooperation.

The declaration included the joint promotion of research, development, and production of vaccines, medicines, and innovations related to “the fourth technological revolution in the health field,” the communication added.

On the one hand, the third agreement consisted of a Binational Program of Strategic Cooperation in Science, Technology, and Innovation, signed by the Ministers of Science and Technology of both countries, the Argentine Daniel Filmus and the Brazilian Luciana Barbosa de Oliveira Santos.

This agreement “expresses the interest in working together in areas such as biotechnology, nanotechnology, space sciences, nuclear research, energy transition and environment, information and communication technologies, among others”, as reflected in the official text.

Likewise, the officials signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Scientific Cooperation in Ocean Science to “favor joint research projects and studies in this field”.

On the other hand, both countries agreed to address economic and financial integration through a memorandum signed by the Ministers of Economy of Argentina, Sergio Massa, and Brazil, Fernando Haddad.

“The memorandum seeks to advance in the reduction of barriers in the exchange of goods and services, and in the dynamization of trade through the implementation of financing lines for imports operated by banking entities and guaranteed by the Governments of both countries, with terms, amount and counter-guarantees agreed on a case-by-case basis according to risk criteria”, detailed the Presidential communiqué.

The fifth commitment corresponded to an Antarctic Cooperation Agreement, signed by the Argentine Minister of Foreign Affairs, Santiago Cafiero, and his Brazilian counterpart, Mauro Vieira, which aims to promote “the joint development of plans, programs, and technological and scientific projects in the Antarctic area”.

Finally, Presidents Fernández and Lula signed a joint declaration on the occasion of the Brazilian President’s official visit.

In their meeting with the press, both heads of state referred to the joint effort to establish a “common South American currency” and called for strengthening regional integration.

Lula’s visit to Argentina is his first international trip since his inauguration as Brazilian President on Jan. 1.

The two heads of state meetings took place before the VII Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), to be held in the Argentine capital on Jan. 24.