Argentina and Chile will work together on economic, energy, and cultural issues, said on Monday the presidents of both countries, who met in Buenos Aires during Chilean President Gabriel Boric’s symbolic first trip abroad.
The center-left Chilean leader, who took office last month, traveled to Argentina on Sunday along with a delegation of businessmen and a cultural delegation in a bid to deepen ties with one of his main trading partners.
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“We have challenges that are deeply shared,” Boric said at a joint press conference with Alberto Fernández, the center-left Argentine president with whom he has shown great affinity.
Chile is Argentina’s fifth trading partner and one of its main investors.
In January 2022, Argentina exported $351 million to Chile — including liquid gas — while its neighbor’s imports reached $53 million, according to official figures.
The presidents also discussed politically sensitive issues, such as the Mapuche conflict in the south and the situation of former Chilean guerrilla Sergio Apablaza, who lives in Argentina and is awaiting a court decision on whether he will be extradited to Chile for the murder of a senator in 1991.
The Chilean leader participated in the usual official meetings and acts but also took the time to escape protocol and walk around Buenos Aires and visit bookstores.
Translated by LABS
