Argentine president to come to Brazil for official visit

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva should welcome the President of Argentina, Alberto Fernández, at the Planalto presidential palace in Brasília next Monday (Jun. 26). The Argentine leader is coming for an official trip to the country.

According to the schedule disclosed by the Brazilian authorities, Lula and Fernández will discuss priority issues on the bilateral agenda. Next, the Brazilian government should host a lunch for Fernández at the Itamaraty palace, seat of Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Relations.

Brazil’s largest trading partner in South America, the Argentines are facing a new serious economic crisis, with devaluation of the peso, loss of purchasing power, and high inflation rates. In March, inflation in the neighboring country reached 104 percent a year. As a result, President Lula has sought initiatives to help the neighboring nation, particularly to avoid a decline in Brazilian exports to the country.

Since January, Presidents Lula and Fernández have met four times. In addition to the meeting at Lula’s inauguration, the Brazilian president paid an official visit to Argentina on his first international trip. President Fernández came to Brasilia twice more, once, in May, to meet directly with Lula, and one more time for the South American presidents’ summit.