After brief opening words from the Chinese Ambassador Yang Wanming, CIPPEC’s Executive Director Julia Pomares, and Vice-Chancellor and Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Carlos Foradori, the first of two panel discussions got underway focusing on the importance of the G20 for Argentina and regionally. Matters of G20 institutionalization and governance were discussed along with Latin America’s relationship with other multilateral agencies. For instance, how could the three regional members – Mexico, Brazil and Argentina – better coordinate their G20 actions to exert more influence?
The second panel was on strengthening trade relations within and between Latin America and China. Amid the mounting interest in and support for south-south development partnerships, panellists discussed trade relationships and prospects for strengthening such partnerships between Latin American countries. Opportunities and challenges in international coordination for governments and for the private sector were considered.
More than 150 people attended the event, among them the Minister Mauricio Alice, Argentina’s G20 Sous-Sherpa, and other government representatives, representatives of diplomatic missions, entrepreneurs, researchers from various local Think Tanks and Chinese and Argentine media. Panellists included renowned experts and academics such as Jorge Arguello, founder of Open Embassy, Jorge Castro, president of the Institute of Strategic Thinking and Eduardo Levy Yeyati, director of BICE (Bank for Investment and Trade).
