Argentine President-elect Javier Milei departs from the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, next to the White House, in Washington, DC, on 28 November 2023.
- Argentina’s president-elect
Javier Milei met with key US officials seeking support for his plans to aid the
struggling economy ahead of his inauguration. - Milei’s economic advisers
held talks with an IMF team to discuss plans for strengthening stability and
setting the basis for more sustainable growth. - The US National Security
Advisor Jake Sullivan expressed Washington’s willingness to collaborate in the
transition of Argentina’s incoming government.
Argentina’s
president-elect Javier Milei met key US officials Tuesday while his advisors
held talks with an IMF team in Washington, as he seeks to boost support for his
plans to aid the crisis-hit economy.
The
two-day visit comes shortly before Milei’s inauguration, and as Buenos Aires
aims to get the country’s $44 billion agreement with the International Monetary
Fund back on track. The United States is the fund’s largest shareholder.
On
Tuesday, Milei held talks with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan,
where they discussed the importance of building on strong ties.
This
includes “on economic issues, and on shared priorities such as investing
in technology and clean energy, advocating for human rights, and standing up
for democracies around the world,” said a readout from the White House.
Milei
also met with other officials from the National Security Council and the State
Department.
READ | Argentina elects ‘shock therapy’ libertarian Javier Milei as president
With
him were economic advisers Luis Caputo and Nicolas Posse, who held talks with
an IMF team led by its First Deputy Managing Director Gita Gopinath.
“They
discussed the country’s complex challenges and plans for urgently strengthening
stability and setting the basis for more sustainable growth,” said the
fund in a statement.
“Both
teams will remain closely engaged in the period ahead,” the IMF added.
A
Treasury Department spokesperson confirmed that senior officials were to meet
with Milei’s economic policy advisors on Tuesday to discuss his incoming
administration’s economic policy priorities, but did not provide further
details.
In
a social media statement, Milei’s office said he “expressed his view on
the international geopolitical agenda aligned with the West and his defence of
the values of freedom.”
The
statement added that Sullivan expressed Washington’s “willingness” to
collaborate in the transition of Argentina’s incoming government, in the face
of the country’s “challenging political, economic and social
situation.”
Argentina’s
annual rate of inflation is over 140 percent and 40 percent of the population
lives in poverty.
Among
Milei’s plans for reform have been proposals to privatise many state-run
institutions.