President-elect Javier Milei received a call from Joe Biden on Wednesday, with the United States president congratulated the libertarian on his electoral victory on Sunday.
During a new round of congratulatory phone calls, the La Libertad Avanza leader also spoke to Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to whom he offered to host a Latin American summit.
Biden "applauded the conduct of the election as a testament to the strength of Argentina's democratic institutions," a White House readout of the call with Milei said.
"The two leaders discussed the importance of continuing to build on the strong relationship between the United States and Argentina," it said, including in the areas of food security and clean energy.
During the race, Milei cast the United States and Israel – currently entrenched in a war with Hamas – as important allies for his future government, and on Wednesday he thanked Biden for his efforts in a hostage deal brokered between the warring parties, the president-elect's office said.
Biden confirmed in the call that he will not be able to attend Milei’s inauguration on December 10 in Buenos Aires.
Milei’s communication with the US president had been instigated on Monday morning. The libertarian's likely future foreign minister, Diana Mondino, said that the conversation “was very cordial."
In that respect, Mondino added: “We also talked about how Argentina can produce energy and food. Then the usual things one fervently wishes, that each country may prosper."
On Biden’s potential attendance to Milei’s inauguration, the deputy elect explained: “Biden gave his excuses for not being able to attend because he has another trip scheduled.”
Before being inaugurated, the libertarian expects to travel to both the United States and Israel.
Kyiv calling
Milei's office also said that he had spoken with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy and proposed hosting a summit between Kyiv and Latin American nations.
Mondino described the call as excellent. “Even though an interpreter is always necessary, they were very polite and worked as a new stage for Argentina," the economist said.
“They’re setting up a summit for peace in Latin America and Ukraine and we offered to be the venue if it were appropriate," she revealed.
David Cameron, the former UK prime minister who recently rejoined Britain's government as foreign secretary, also held a call with Milei, according to the president-elect's office.
Argentina and Britain still have an outstanding dispute over the sovereignty of the Malvinas (Falkland) Islands, which Buenos Aires and London went to war over in 1982.
Milei has proposed recovering the islands diplomatically, although UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has rejected the idea. No details were given by Milei's office regarding the talks between the president-elect and Cameron.
Milei has already communicated with many other international heads of state, including Luis Lacalle Pou (Uruguay); Nayib Bukele (El Salvador); Giorgia Meloni (Italy); Emmanuel Macron (France); Gabriel Boric (Chile).
Peruvian President Dina Boluarte said she would attend Milei's inauguration. The two spoke Wednesday about "the importance of economic growth in the region."
– TIMES/NA/AFP
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