Timerman, US envoy highlight efforts to 'safeguard democracy'

The US Acting Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Roberta Jacobson, met with Foreign and Education ministers Héctor Timerman and Alberto Sileoni this morning, and is scheduled to meet with Cabinet Chief Juan Manuel Abal Medina on Friday.

According to a statement released by the Foreign Ministry, Timerman had a breakfast meeting with Jacobson, and were joined by Argentine ambassador to the US Jorge Argüello and US ambassador in Buenos Aires Vilma Martínez. 

“During the meeting, both parties discussed their respective progress in the new directives set by Presidents Fernández de Kirchner and Obama during the Cannes summit last November,” evidencing the common goals that are part of “our rich bilateral agenda.”

“In that matter, both sides praised the resulting benefits of strengthening regional organizations in Latin America as well as the key role they have played in several opportunities when they needed to safeguard democratic stability,” the statement added, 

Both representatives also praised bilateral cooperation in matters such as human rights protection, assistance to vulnerable sectors of the population, education, science and technology.

Timerman and Jacobson “highlighted that both countries are interested in working in these and other areas such as scientific cooperation – looking for a cure for cancer being another successful example – given the available technical and human resources.” 

They also agree to “maintain a continuous dialogue in order to discuss matters of common interest.”

The US government had reported that Jacobson was visiting Argentina in order to “discuss forms of collaboration between the US and its partners in the region before the Summit of the Americas next April.”