US and Argentina strengthen security and economic ties

US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau and Argentine Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno met at the San Martín Palace to discuss deepening bilateral relations. Landau described Argentina as being more closely aligned with the United States than any other country.

To combat drug trafficking, the US government has approved $13 million in funding, with $7 million designated for Argentina. Additionally, a $10 million agreement has been signed to strengthen efforts against child trafficking, and $15 million is allocated to establish a cybersecurity operations center to monitor and protect networks, including an assessment of the state-owned company ARSAT.

Discussions also touched upon the proposed National Sovereignty Defense Law, which could impact companies involved in resource exploitation in the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas). Landau noted that the US is monitoring the law with interest due to the interests of American companies seeking investment in the region. Quirno stated that the current law lacks sufficient tools to defend Argentine interests and clarified that the initiative does not target any specific company.