Milei visit to Macron, looking for agreements in mining and nuclear energy

After visiting Spain and Italy, the Argentine president, Javier Milei, arrived in France and met Monday with the local president, Emmanuel Macron. The dialogue between the presidents dealt with the collaboration in the exploitation of critical minerals and the development of nuclear energy, as well as on the advances in the postponed commercial agreement of Mercosur and the European Union. The meeting was completed in Nice, in a contradictory framework for Milei: it was during the United Nations Conference on the Oceans. For Milei, the UN is a “leviathan of multiple tentacles” imposed by a socialist agenda and global warming is also “one more lie of socialism.”

Milei’s usual invective ones against what he considers socialism were heard this Sunday at Madrid Economic Forum, shortly before his departure to France, where he remained a few hours. This Monday arrived in Israel.

On the French Costa Azul, on the banks of the Mediterranean, the Argentine President melted into a long and effusive hug with Macron, at the beginning of the summit dedicated to the preservation of the seas. Invited by Macron, Milei made an appearance during the debates, but did not open his mouth. His position is directly opposed to that of his host. In fact, the French president questioned the denialists of climate change and said that the impact of human activity on biodiversity “is not an opinion, but is scientifically demonstrated.”

The third bilateral meeting between the two leaders in a year, which Karina Milei, general secretary of the Argentine Presidency also participated, took place later, in a conference pause. According to the information disseminated by the ultra government, Macron thanked Milei for his presence at the summit and praised the positive evolution of the Argentine economy. In turn, Milei, who gave Macron Books of the Spanish economist Jesús Huerta de Soto, thanked the French support before international organizations, such as the International Monetary Fund, which approved a new multimillionaire rescue for the South American country.

During the meeting, which extended for an hour, they approached the possibility of accelerating and deepening French investments for the extraction of lithium, copper and other minerals in Argentine territory. Both governments prepare an alliance to promote this mining exploitation. Together with investment incentive, they aspire to develop scientific coordination in the Resource detection. In addition, both Milei and Macron were interested in collaborating in the development of nuclear energy. The Casa Rosada hopes to have France as a strategic partner for its nuclear plan, presented last December.

The negotiations in pursuit of a commercial agreement between the regional blocks of South America and Europe were the other key issue of the meeting. After years of discussions and obstacles, the current international scenario, cracking by Donald Trump’s tariff policies from the United States, seems to direct the consensus between Mercosur and the European Union, in search of promoting a stability frame. Even leaders like Milei and Macron, who resisted, are now prone to close the agreement. In December a general agreement was signed and now the expectations are set to save the latest differences for the end of this year.

The Milei tour will continue on Tuesday in Israel, in a new staging of its determined geopolitical support to Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. His three -day agenda includes a meeting with the Prime Minister, a visit to the Wall Wall, an encounter with relatives of Argentines kidnapped by Hamas and a speech before the legislators in the Knéset, the local Parliament, among other activities. It also plans a usual chapter on your trips: the reception of awards. In Israeli land, it will be distinguished with the Genesis award. And he will receive another distinction on Thursday, already back in Spain, when the Friday club awarded the Salamanca School Prize. Milei plans to return to Argentina on Saturday, after a 10 -day international journey.