In his capacity as President of the G20 this year, Argentine President Mauricio Macri took part in the 10th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg. BRICS is made up of leading emerging economies Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
Earlier today, the President Macri spoke at a special BRICS Plus Initiative event at Johannesburg’s Sandton Convention Centre. Present at the event were several leaders from countries in the Global South and members of the Africa Outreach Group.
“We are taking the G20 presidency forward with a vision from the South, aiming to transmit the voice not only of one country, but of a whole region,” Macri stated.
“Latin America and the Caribbean have much to offer the world, through the talent of its people, its rich endowment of natural resources, and as a zone of peace and cooperation.”
"We want to show that our vision of the 21st century can act as a bridge in diversity," he added, calling on the G20 to “put the needs of people in the foreground, with a strong emphasis on fairness and sustainability.”
“The key to advancing our ambitious agenda has been, and will continue to be, consensus,” he said.
Alluding to the support G20 members have given to Argentina’s presidency priorities, President Macri cited the success of last week’s G20 Meeting of Finance Ministers. The meeting ended with strong endorsement for an extensive menu of policy options to tackle challenges posed by the future of work, acknowledging the need to support people with technological transitions. The meeting also saw renewed commitment to promoting infrastructure as an asset class attractive to private investors, to help close the gap in infrastructure development, an issue of particular importance for emerging economies. “The spirit of consensus prevailed,” Macri stressed.
“The escalation of unilateral measures and retaliation have a potential systemic impact on growth and exerts pressure on the effectiveness of multilateralism. We must be able to build consensus that accommodates differences and promotes common interests. Multilateralism is not, nor should it be, a ritual of photos for the press,” but “an insurance against the discretion of power and a commitment to the global coexistence to which we are destined.”
“It is time to show that global cooperation can lead us to a better future and that the Global South can commit itself as a constructive actor of consensus for equitable and sustainable development,” President Macri concluded.
Over two days in Johannesburg, President Macri also held bilateral meetings with BRICS heads of State. With Chinese President Xi Jinping, the leaders reiterated the importance of strengthening the strategic relationship between Argentina and China, particularly with respect to the energy, tourism and agricultural sectors. Macri thanked his Chinese counterpart for China’s support in Argentina’s recent negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi confirmed his participation at the G20 Summit to be held at the end of November in Buenos Aires. President Macri also confirmed his intention to visit India in January 2019 as India and the Mercosur region look to strengthen trade in sectors such as agriculture, energy and mining. Argentina already exports soybean oil and sunflower oil, leather products, malting barley and meat products to India. The two discussed the possible construction of a radioisotope production plant in Mumbai by Argentine State-owned applied research company INVAP.
Presidents Macri and Temer of Brazil discussed the status of negotiations over a trade deal between the Mercosur and the European Union, and President Macri also met briefly with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
On the fringes of the summit, Argentine Foreign Minister Jorge Faurie, who accompanied President Macri to South Africa, signed a cooperation agreement with South African Minister of Environmental Affairs, Edna Molewa. The agreement supports joint initiatives for the protection of plants and wildlife in Argentina and South Africa’s many national parks.
