Buenos Aires, 8 April 2022 (TDI): The President of Bolivia, Luis Arce, visited Argentina to enhance bilateral ties.
The Argentine Foreign Minister received the Bolivian President at the Jorge Newbery International Airport in Buenos Aires.
In a statement, the Foreign Minister of Argentina, Santiago Cafiero said “Between Argentina and Bolivia there is a relationship of friendship and solidarity that is sustained by brotherhood and history. The visit of the president [Luis Arce] consolidates the bilateral link to respond to the needs of our peoples.”
Gas Deal
During the visit, Argentina reached a deal to import 14 million cubic meters of natural gas per day from Bolivia. According to the Argentinian Economic Ministry, the volume could increase during the winter to avoid fuel shortages. Moreover, Bolivia will give Argentina priority access to its gas.
Argentina had been looking for alternative gas supplies as it was hit hard by rising LNG costs due to the war in Ukraine. The costs of LNG threaten to leave the country stuck in a deep energy trade deficit.
In his tweet, the Bolivian President proclaimed “We guarantee the supply of gas for our Argentine brothers and sisters for the present administration, as we did last year”.
The Heads of State participated in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Bolivia’s Ministry of Hydrocarbons and Argentina’s Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation.
Furthermore, both nations signed a “Joint Declaration that reinforces the friendship, brotherhood and good neighborliness between both countries.”
Meanwhile, the Bolivian President received the title of Doctor Honoris Causa from the Metropolitan University for Education and Work in Buenos Aires. He expressed gratitude to the Argentine institution for the honor. Moreover, he expressed his commitment is to continue working for the needy.
Argentina-Bolivia Relations
The two South American countries share much history, language, and culture. Relations between the states are more than a century old. In addition, both have well-established economic relations. Argentine exports to Bolivia amounted to US$559.7 million and Bolivian exports to Argentina amounted to US$708.7 million in 2016.
