President Michel Temer this Tuesday (7) advocated for closer relations with Argentina as a way of achieving "shared prosperity" among South American countries. In an article published in O Globo, a newspaper, the president described bilateral relations with Argentina as a "development imperative".

Temer hosted Argentine president Mauricio Macri for a bilateral meeting this morning. Argentina is one of Brazil's main socio-political and trading partners. The purpose of Macri's visit is to discuss measures to increase trade and relations between the countries inside and outside the Mercosur.

“The Brazil-Argentina strategic alliance is, for us, a development imperative," Temer wrote in the article. For the president, international union is necessary in a world which, according to him, is giving in to "disruptive influences”.

In the view of the Brazilian president, the nation must move away from exacerbated nationalism and protectionist pressures in all their dimensions: political, economic, scientific & technological, and public security. “Our response to isolationist trends must be more integration," he said.

Resumption of relations

Macri's visit to Brazil, the third meeting between the two presidents in just six months, will focus in concrete measures that translate into economic growth, more jobs, and greater well-being for all, Temer said.

“We live in a new era of partnership between Brazil and Argentina. We have challenges of the same nature and similar ways to address them," said the president.

In the article, Temer also highlights Brazil's growing trade relations with Argentina. Imports of Argentine products by Brazil have increased in the last three months, an important sign of recovering economic dynamism. The neighbouring country is Brazil's main trading partner in Latin America, and third overall.

“We can now resume the regularity and quality of the dialogue between our governments. We have rebuilt bilateral channels that had been virtually frozen. Ministers from both parties have again begun meeting regularly, and technical bodies have returned to operations," he said.

The Brazilian president points to an optimistic view for the future of bilateral relations. He assures that old goals will be recovered, such as coordination in combating transnational organised crime and joint projects in knowledge-intensive areas such as nuclear, space and aeronautics. “We will address the agenda of border management, and, in particular, physical integration," he said.