Former Argentine president criticizes Fernandez over US, IMF remarks

LONDON

Former Argentine President Mauricio Macri on Friday spoke publicly against current President Alberto Fernandez over his remarks during a meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

On Thursday at a bilateral meeting in Moscow with Putin, Fernandez said he would like Argentina to move away from dependence on the US and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), insisting "Argentina has to stop being so dependent on the Fund and the United States, and has to open up to other places. And that is where it seems to me that Russia has a very important place."

Macri said on Facebook that Fernandez made "risky statements" in front of the Russian president, which he said could alter the international position that Argentina has maintained for years, "in addition to potentially jeopardizing the agreement not yet signed between Argentina and the IMF".

Following protracted discussions, Argentina and the IMF agreed on a new $44.5 billion standby accord on Jan. 28 but Macri warned that Fernandez's comments potentially harm the agreement.

Macri also referred to his own tenure and foreign policy as president of Argentina from 2015-2019, saying "this is how foreign policy was during my government, which at the same time and without contradictions maintained excellent political and commercial relations with the United States, Russia (it is worth clarifying that we had four fruitful bilateral meetings with President Putin), China, Japan, all the European countries."

Macri went on to warn that "a large part of the future of what Argentina can become is at stake in the carefulness of those relations that, unfortunately, the current government is determined to squander. An error in international positioning can be economic ruin and even endanger the peace of the country and the region."

Macri said "this is not a time for improvisation in international politics.

"The threat of armed conflict endangers global stability. It takes extreme prudence, good sense, building trust, listening to experts, paying attention to professional knowledge and modesty. None of what this government has shown so far," he added.