President Javier Milei meets US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau

Argentine President Javier Milei met with US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau at Casa Rosada to discuss bilateral relations. The meeting occurred amidst discussions regarding Argentina’s National Sovereignty Defense Law, a legislative project that proposes sanctions against companies exploiting natural resources in the Falkland Islands without Argentine authorization.

Prior to the presidential meeting, Landau met with Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno. During that session, Landau acknowledged concerns from US companies regarding the potential impact of the law but stated that the United States respects Argentina’s legislative process and will not interfere. Foreign Minister Quirno defended the initiative, arguing that current laws lack sufficient tools to protect national interests in the South Atlantic, noting that companies may face a choice between operations in the islands or investing in mainland Argentina.

Participants in the Casa Rosada meeting included Karina Milei, Pablo Quirno, and Alec Oxenford from the Argentine side, alongside US officials Peter Lamelas, Juan Pablo Segura, and Viviana Bovo. While there have been concerns regarding the impact of fines and trade restrictions on US investment funds, Argentine officials have indicated they do not intend to target major financial actors in a way that would compromise bilateral relations.