In Washington, Werthein and the Undersecretary of State highlighted the "strategic alignment" between Argentina and the U.S.
WASHINGTON.- Foreign Minister Gerardo Werthein continues his round of meetings in the United States since his arrival in the country last week, with the mission of strengthening political and economic ties and aligning trade positions. This Tuesday, he was received in this capital by US Undersecretary of State Christopher Landau , who praised Argentina "for supporting" the White House in "achieving President Donald Trump 's goal of peace through strength on the global stage."
“Under Secretary Landau thanked the Foreign Minister for Argentina’s strategic alignment to strengthen the Western Hemisphere . They also discussed ongoing efforts to mitigate threats to Argentina’s critical infrastructure ,” said Tammy Bruce, a spokeswoman for the State Department , which is headed by Marco Rubio . She did not provide further details.
According to LA NACION from high sources, at the meeting, described as "excellent" , the officials spoke of the need to "continue strengthening the alliance" between both countries and to "promote and stimulate bilateral trade exchange", and made reference to the "support that the United States gave to the entire stabilization plan of Argentina and to the reforms" of the government of Javier Milei , who has shown several signs of harmony with the Trump administration since the Republican leader won the elections on November 5.
“Landau praised Argentina for supporting the United States in achieving President Trump’s goal of peace through strength on the global stage,” Bruce added in a statement, on the day the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Iran , brokered by the Republican leader, was finalized after 12 days of war in the Middle East .
In this regard, Argentina, according to sources who spoke to LA NACION, "will do everything necessary to promote peace."
According to the sources, the meeting also highlighted "the importance of working together to strengthen hemispheric security and cooperation in the fight against drug trafficking and organized crime ."
Through his social media accounts, the foreign minister thanked the Undersecretary of State—Rubio's deputy, who traveled with Trump to the NATO summit in The Hague—for his leadership. "Argentina is firmly committed to strengthening our strategic alliance with the United States and to advancing freedom, peace, and prosperity in the Americas and around the world," said Werthein, a former ambassador to Washington until last October, when he was replaced by Alex Oxenford .
Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry is confident that a reception between Trump and Milei in Washington could be arranged at some point, something that has been quietly in the works for several weeks. "It's going to happen, but it's hard to set a date," a high-ranking source told LA NACION.
The foreign minister had previously met with Republican Congressman Brian Mast, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee . "We deeply value the strong relationship between Argentina and the United States , based on our shared principles and values. We look forward to deepening our collaboration in defense of freedom and in the pursuit of prosperity for both nations," Werthein said on his X account.
Werthein's series of meetings in the United States included a presentation before the UN Decolonization Committee in New York , in which he reclaimed Argentine sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, as well as meetings to entice multinational companies to invest in the country and a meeting with the United States Trade Representative, Jamieson Greer , to advance negotiations over reciprocal tariffs imposed by the White House.
According to LA NACION, there was progress in the talks with Greer , and new meetings are scheduled for this Wednesday to continue advancing trade issues. The content of the talks was kept confidential since the Argentine delegation—as is the case with the rest of the countries negotiating with the United States—signed a Non-Disclosure Agreement.
Meanwhile, on Monday, he held a "productive" meeting at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce with senior executives from Chevron, Rio Tinto, Amazon, Pfizer, Cisco, and Cargill . "Minister Werthein presented Argentina's macroeconomic stabilization plan, structural reforms, and key investment opportunities" in the country, the embassy in Washington reported via X.
The meeting was attended by Neil Herrington , Senior Vice President of the Americas Department of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce; Ricardo Lachterman , Head of the Advisory Board Unit; and Oxenford, among other officials.
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