Gerardo Werthein assured that the meeting between Javier Milei and Lula Da Silva was cordial and had already been arranged.
The Argentine government denied that President Lula da Silva had requested a bilateral meeting with Javier Milei during the Mercosur summit. According to Foreign Minister Gerardo Werthein , the meeting had already been prearranged. "The two presidents treated each other very well. When the meeting ended, Milei passed the gavel to Brazil," he said in a televised statement.
Werthein emphasized that the relationship with Brazil is based on common ground, not conditions. "We can't impose conditions on other countries, and they can't impose conditions on us," he explained. In this regard, he also referred to Lula's visit to Cristina Kirchner , stating that it was a personal decision for the Brazilian president. "He is within his rights; he did it at her embassy, although his poster demanding freedom was striking," he said.
Regarding the summit, the foreign minister explained that it was a six-day meeting that concluded three months of negotiations to improve the functioning of Mercosur , despite ideological differences. "Lula was respectful, he greeted the president cordially, and everything took place within a formal and proper framework," Werthein stated.
One of the meeting's key points was the signing of energy agreements for Argentina to supply natural gas to its neighboring countries. According to Werthein, this was one of the meeting's most important achievements. He also highlighted progress in legal security aimed at consolidating investments in key sectors such as Vaca Muerta .
Asked about the Malvinas issue, the official recalled that there were internal questions about the government's position, but stated: "We always had a clear position. There were doubts, but we gained support from the United Nations and the OAS."
Regarding Gerardo Werthein's alleged involvement in the privatization of YPF , the foreign minister denied any involvement. "That was a transaction. The circulated image shows the Telecom logo. I never owned a single YPF share," he clarified. He also asserted that this issue has no impact on his relationship with international business leaders: "What they're asking about abroad is about Argentina's growth, and they can't believe it."
Finally, he highlighted the meeting with the President of Uruguay, Yamandú Orsi , whom he described as "pragmatic and deeply interested in strengthening bilateral relations." The meeting included the Minister of Economy, and strategic issues for both countries were discussed.
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