Remarks by U.S. Treasury Secretary Lew at Meeting with Argentine Finance Minister Prat-Gay

BUENOS AIRES – I would like to thank President Macri and my friend and colleague Minister Prat-Gay for hosting me today.  As you know, this is the first visit by a U.S. Treasury Secretary to Argentina since 2002, and I am grateful for the Finance Minister’s invitation to join him in Buenos Aires to continue our discussions regarding this important period of change in Argentina, as well as our shared objectives for the future of the U.S.-Argentina economic relationship, the G-20, and the global economy.  My team and I have been working closely with Minister Prat-Gay and his staff since the beginning of the Macri administration and the Finance Minister and I have gotten to know one another well over several meetings this year.  In January, we announced the change in U.S. voting policy for multilateral development bank projects for Argentina, and we’ve since met in Shanghai, Chengdu, and Hangzhou to further advance U.S.-Argentine economic cooperation. A prosperous Argentina that is fully participating in the global economy is not only in the interest of the Argentine people, but also the region, the United States, and the international community.  In its early months, the Macri administration has made a lot of progress.