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ARGENTINA | 27-11-2019 17:52

Fernández eyes up diplomatic appointments, with Scioli set for Brazil

Former presidential candidate and Buenos Aires Province governor – who famously lost to President Macri in the 2015 election – set to head to Brasilia in diplomatic shake-up.

President-elect Alberto Fernández is starting to assess his options for crucial diplomatic posts, with as many as 25 ambassadorial posts up for grabs.

The headline appointment looks set to Daniel Scioli, with the former governor of Buenos Aires Province and ex-presidential candidate set for take on the post of Argentina's ambassador to Brazil – a crucial post that oversees one of the country's most important bilateral relationships.

Sources close to Scioli confirmed to the Noticias Argentinas news agency on Wednesday that he would take up the post, putting him in charge of the diplomatic relationship with Brazil's far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro, who has made it known he is not happy to have the Peronists back in charge in ARgentina.

Local reports on Wedneday suggested that Fernández had also decided the identity of his envoys in Washington and Beijing, the two other most important posts in Argentine diplomacy.

Argentina's former ambassador to the United States, Jorge Argüello, is likely to return to the United States to oversee relations with the White House. Meanwhile, Sabino Vaca Narvaja is set for China, tasked with strengthening trade ties with the Communist government.

Under Article 5 of Argentina's Foreign Service Law, the Executive branch has the power to designate envoys to represent the government via patronage. The Mauricio Macri administration has appointed close to 20 envoys through this opening, all of which must refer to the country before December 10, when Fernández takes office.

Among those returning to Buenos Aires are Fernando Oris de Roa (United States), Diego Guelar (China), Ramón Puerta (Spain), Oscar Moscariello (Portugal) and Mariano Caucino (Israel). Envoys in Uruguay, Chile, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru and Paraguay must also return.

On Tuesday, Fernández met with the US Ambassador to Argentina Edward Prado at his offices in Puerto Madero. In what may amount to a sign of who will be the president-elect's foreign minister, Fernández was accompanied by national deputy Felipe Solá, the frontrunner for the post.

–  PERFIL/TIMES

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