At an official ceremony held at the Presidential Palace, the governments of Brazil and Argentina signed four acts on Tuesday (7) that expand partnerships in trade, healthcare services in border regions and diplomatic and consular cooperation.

The first agreement was signed between the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil) and the Argentine Investment and International Trade Agency. It contemplates a number of cooperation initiatives, including the holding of regular meetings and exchanges of publications and information on the two countries' respective markets.

The agreement also provides for trade missions between the two countries, mutual assistance for participation in international trade shows, the promotion of interaction between businesspeople to foster trade and industrial cooperation and the creation of joint enterprises to operate in third countries.

The two presidents also signed an official letter addressed to the President of the Interamerican Development Bank (IDB) calling for feasibility studies on an agency that would be aimed at driving regulatory convergence between Brazil and Argentina.

Communities and diplomacy

In the healthcare area, the countries signed an amendment to the existing agreement between Brazil and Argentina on linked border areas specifically aimed at providing emergency care and civil defence cooperation services. It opens the possibility of emergency care worker crossing the borders between the two countries to work in specific cases.

Two memoranda were also signed in the area of diplomatic and consular cooperation. The first establishes the Consular Working Group, formed by members from consular areas of the two foreign ministries, which establishes exchanges of experiences and information on consular networks and diasporas; a review of convergences and possibilities for joint consular performance; and the conception and implementation of pilot projects, including in third countries.

The second memorandum aims to promote mutual understanding of the structure, functioning and experience of public diplomacy between the two countries’ foreign ministries, with emphasis on the use of social media tools for communication of policies and foreign policy achievements.