Argentina seeks further growth in bilateral ties with Qatar, says envoy

Argentina is looking to attract Qatari investments in the fields of food production and agriculture, according to ambassador Marcelo Gilardoni, who said further discussions are underway to promote growth in both countries’ bilateral relations.“We are very much looking at Qatari investments in food and agricultural land, as well as in companies that would produce food exports to Qatar. This may also include animal fodder and agricultural products,” Gilardoni told Gulf Times in an exclusive interview.Gilardoni stressed that aside from looking to improve Qatar-Argentina economic ties, the embassy is “working very closely” with Qatar to meet the objectives of the country’s food security strategy. “We’re also exploring the possibility of attracting Qatari investments in some of Argentina’s food industries. And we’re working together in these areas with the Ministry of Municipality and their respective counterparts in Argentina.“We are open to having business delegations from Argentina and Qatar explore the investment climates of both countries. We have postponed some of these visits because of the pandemic, but we’re hoping that by mid-2022, we could set up a joint commission with Qatar either a virtual or face-to-face, but these plans are in the pipeline,” he also stressed.With less than $1bn in trade exchange figures, Gilardoni emphasised that Qatar and Argentina still “have a lot of space for improvement” in terms of the import and export of goods and services between both countries. Beef and lamb, as well as chicken, are among Argentina’s major food exports to Qatar, the ambassador said. “The next step is to get the government ministries and their counterparts in Argentina to work on the agreements that we need to sign that would enhance bilateral trade of both countries, and to reduce the obstacles to trade and investment, and to discuss other issues that Qatar and Argentina must overcome,” the ambassador pointed out.He further said: “We are also working with different producers and companies in the field of agriculture and machinery, as well as in the construction materials sector. Argentina has a lot to offer to our international partners, such as Qatar.”As a major tourism destination, Gilardoni said Argentina is also looking to attract more Qataris and people from Qatar to visit and experience what the South American country has to offer. He said talks are underway with Qatar Airways to resume its flights to Buenos Aires.Only recently, the ambassador hosted a beef and wine tasting event at his residence to introduce and promote these Argentinian products to key stakeholders in Qatar. The event, which was held under health and safety protocols, showcased the culinary expertise of an Argentinian chef. It was also highlighted by a performance of Argentinian tango dancers and a singer.He added: “We want to put in touch producers in Argentina with the importers in Qatar to determine the demand in Qatar. We've been working with Qatar Distribution Company (QDC) and also with other hypermarkets in Qatar. The idea is to promote our country’s chicken, lamb, beef, and fish, as well as other products from our country.“We plan to collaborate with hypermarkets in Qatar in organising ‘Argentina Week’ so we can showcase our products. We can hold a much bigger beef tasting event during the celebration of Argentina Week, which could include a large delegation from Argentina meeting with the concerned authorities in both the public and private sector.”