June 2022 sees the 75th anniversary of Egyptian-Argentinian diplomatic ties.
Ambassadorial diplomatic representation came in 1953. These relations are a firm basis for opening up new horizons of bilateral co-operation. All activities this year are held as part of celebrations in co-ordination with the Egyptian embassy in Argentina.
Argentina’s Ambassador to Egypt Eduardo Antonio Varela told The Egyptian Mail about progress in bilateral ties in recent years and future plans for promotion.
Strong agricultural co-operation
Ambassador Varela highlighted the agricultural sector as one of the key areas for joint co-operation.
“There have been and there are a lot of things to do in this domain. There is a great record of co-operation in agricultural sector,” the ambassador said.
In this regard, the ambassador referred to joint quinoa project.
“Quinoa is originally from South America, so Argentina has much experience with this crop. Argentina transferred its expertise and technology regarding quinoa,” the ambassador said.
Also, Argentinian experts came to Egypt for training at the Egyptian International Centre for Agriculture. Every year, five or six people have come to Egypt for training which is useful and valuable, he said.
“Agricultural supplies that we import from Egypt are fertilisers. So trade is complementary part of the agricultural co-operation. Co-operation in this field still has great potential we can do a lot together,” Varela said.
Technological capacities, the ambassador went on, have been developing over the years to make agricultural field smart and sustainable. Biotechnology is a striking example. Such technologies, from the ambassador’s point of view, can enrich ties in this domain.
Regarding wheat exports to Egypt, the ambassador said: “The price used to be rather high compared to other countries due to logistical reasons,” he said.
“The situation has now changed and Argentina could be a reliable wheat supplier,” he added.
Argentina is an efficient wheat producer and enjoys political stability.
“So, we have the capacity. We are ready to work on that. Logistical problems became minor in the light of Ukraine-Russia conflict,” he said.
Besides exporting wheat, Argentina is also ready to provide co-operation on how to be more efficient in wheat production.
“We can sell wheat, but we can also help to improve wheat production,” the ambassador said.
Economic ties
Actually, Argentina has been passing through a complicated economic situation, grappling with the high prices of 2018.
“When we were starting to get out of that, we were faced by the pandemic. We have just finished negotiations with IMF. The situation is more stable and improving,” he said.
However, the ambassador said high inflation rates are still the key challenges.
“The government and society are very committed to dealing with this.”
Despite these challenges, the ambassador said trade volume between Egypt and Argentina is very good, referring to the MERCOSUR-Egypt Free Trade Agreement.
“So far, our exports to Egypt are estimated at $1.4 billion dollars annually. This is very important for us. Egyptian exports to Argentina stand at $500 million a year, but they are increasing fast. Compare this volume with that before the free trade agreement, and you will find that it has gone up five or six times,” he said.
Meanwhile, the ambassador stressed the importance of improving the knowledge of business people of MERCOSUR agreement and its advantages.
“People need to know better about the agreement,” he said.
Regarding Argentina’s exports to Egypt, he said that they comprise mostly corn, vegetable oil and, occasionally, wheat.
The ambassador expressed his hope that there will be direct flights between the two countries in the near future, which will help promote economic ties.
Political,medical talks
The ambassador said Argentina has been making strides in vaccine production.
In this regard, the ambassador referred to a donation at the beginning of this year of 1 million doses of AstraZeneca to Egypt.
“Such gestures of solidarity between countries enrich ties. On that occasion, there were contacts between both health ministries. It is a promising field we can work in.”
The ambassador also pointed out that Egypt has very strong pharmaceutical industry .
“I am sure Egypt will be a hub for vaccine production in Africa,” he said.
As for exchange of high level visits, the ambassador voiced hope that there will be more progress in the upcoming period.
“There are always meetings between presidents on sidelines of big events like the G20 Summit. As COP27 is to take place by the end of the year, we expect to send a high level delegation from Argentina,” the ambassador added.
Cultural harmony
As Egypt and Argentina are geographically far away from each other, the ambassador said that culture is of paramount importance to bring them closer.
“As countries we belong to different traditions, history and different backgrounds. We need to know each other better through culture,” he said.
The ambassador also referred to Argentina’s archaeological team working in Luxor.
“Oriental dance is also interesting. The tango community is also active here. We have to work more to promote such ties,” he said.
The ambassador also said Argentina cinema has an important presence in film festivals.
“Every Cairo International Film Festival, you will find two or three entries from Argentina.”
The ambassador also referred to the annual Ibero-American Film Week which acts as a cultural bridge between Egypt, Ibero-America with the screening of movies from Latin America, Spain and Portugal.
“We are celebrating this year 75 years of diplomatic relations. We have a lot of potential in every aspect. We have very dynamic relations and share coincidences in the multilateral arena. Space technology and digital economy are promising areas for co-operation,” the ambassador added.
