On May 18th, the meeting was held at the headquarters of the Delegation of the European Union in Argentina. Federal Seminar on Linkages with the European Union, an initiative jointly organized by the Delegation of the European Union in Argentina and the Center for International Strategies of Governments and Organizations (CIG) from the School of Politics, Government and International Relations of the Universidad Austral.
The event brought together 32 representatives of provincial and municipal governments from 19 Argentine provincesTogether with national authorities, specialists, representatives of the private sector, business chambers and academic leaders, it consolidated itself as a space for dialogue and exchange aimed at strengthening the links between the European Union and Argentine subnational governments.
The opening ceremony was led by the Governor of the Province of San Luis, Claudio Poggi; the Ambassador of the European Union to Argentina, Erik Høeg; the Secretary of International Economic Relations of the Argentine Foreign Ministry, Fernando Brun; and the Director of the CIG, Fernando Straface.
During the event, more than 15 panelists and experts shared experiences, perspectives and tools to deepen the relationship between Europe and Argentine territories, promoting new opportunities for international cooperation, trade, investment and productive development.
The agenda addressed strategic issues for the bi-regional relationship, including the opportunities and challenges of the European Union–MERCOSUR Agreement, the cooperation programs and instruments between the European Union and Argentina, the Global Gateway strategy and the concrete experiences of companies and organizations linked to the European market.
The first panel, “EU-MERCOSUR Agreement: Opportunities and Challenges”, was moderated by Immaculate Conception Montero Luque, Head of the Economic and Commercial Section of the European Union Delegation in Argentina, and brought together Ferdinand Brun, Secretary of International Economic Relations of the Argentine Foreign Ministry, already Carlos MagariñosMember of the CIG Advisory Board, former Director-General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), former Ambassador of the Argentine Republic to Brazil, and former Secretary of Industry of the Nation. The panel analyzed the current status of the bi-regional agreement and its implications for Argentine provinces in terms of trade, investment, and productive development.
The second panel, “Cooperation opportunities between the European Union and Argentina: instruments, programs and experiences”, was moderated by Ivan Navas Fernandez, cooperation attaché of the Delegation of the European Union in Argentina, and included the participation of Carolina Basualdo, National Deputy and former Mayor of Despeñaderos; Matthew Stréme, National Director of International Cooperation of the Argentine Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Patricia GiménezManager of the Pro-Mendoza Foundation; and Rodolfo Barrere, Coordinator of Technical Cooperation of the Organization of Ibero-American States (OEI) in Argentina. During the exchange, concrete experiences of international cooperation and tools available to provincial and municipal governments were presented.
Finally, the third panel, “Doing business with Europe, from a first-person perspective”, was moderated by Immaculate Conception Montero Luque and brought together representatives from the private sector and business organizations with extensive experience in the European market: André Johan Das, General Manager of the Argentine-Dutch Chamber of Commerce; Dalma Parisi, General Counsel South America | Siemens Government Affairs & Sustainability; Leandro Mora Alfonsín, Executive Director of ArgenCon; Julieta Barra, Director of Business and Consulting and Foreign Trade Manager of the Argentine-German Chamber of Industry and Commerce; and Juan KhouriCEO and Co-founder of Dosbio. The panelists shared practical experiences, challenges, and recommendations to strengthen the international integration of Argentine companies and take advantage of the opportunities offered by the European market.
The seminar was part of the joint efforts being promoted by the European Union and the IGC to bring international tools, experiences and opportunities closer to subnational governments, strengthening their capacity to project themselves internationally and generate new development opportunities for their territories.
