Argentina’s newly elected libertarian president, Javier Milei, recently met with officials from the White House after a trip to the United States this week. Milei and members of his team sat down face to face with White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan to discuss the president-elect’s views on the global agenda. One objective of the meeting was to get U.S. assistance during the coming changeover in the Argentine administration and address the challenging conditions that the country currently faces.
While Milei stated his determination to align with Western values and commit to freedom, U.S. officials expressed that they would continue cooperating with Argentina on several issues. During Milei’s trip, he also had meetings with senior Treasury officials and leaders of the International Monetary Fund to discuss Argentina’s economic stabilization, including policy reforms and fiscal changes.
Another notable achievement was Milei’s conversation with IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva over the weekend. This resulted in the organization committing to help fund “structural solutions” needed in Argentina to combat the economic challenges the country is facing.
One particular focus of attention during discussions was Argentina’s economic relationship with China. While Milei has criticized the Chinese Communist Party and talked about improving relations with the U.S. and Israel, an official from China’s Foreign Ministry suggested it would be a “huge foreign policy mistake” for Argentina to cut ties with a major power like China. Mr. Milei has also stated his intent to move Argentina’s embassy to Jerusalem and has proposed that the former President Donald Trump will attend the inauguration, although this was later contradicted in reports.