Ceremony to introduce Parliamentary Friendship Groups

Foreign Minister Diana Mondino and the President of the Honourable National Chamber of Deputies, Martín Menem, presided over at the San Martin Palace the ceremony to introduce the Parliamentary Friendship Groups established by said Chamber.

The event was attended by national deputies who are members of the several Parliamentary Friendship Groups, representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in Argentina that participate in these groups, as well as secretaries, undersecretaries and Foreign Ministry directors of the geographic areas responsible for political and economic topics. Likewise, members of the Directorate of Parliamentary Diplomacy and International Cooperation; the Directorates of Culture, Institutional Relations and Protocol of the Chamber of Deputies also participated.

In this opportunity, for the 2024-2025 period, 70 Parliamentary Friendship Groups were established with more than 140 countries, both bilateral and regional. As an example, a parliamentary group was also established on Argentina's accession to the OECD. In total, parliamentary friendship groups were integrated by 243 national deputies. The large number of legislative participants reflects the relevance of parliamentary diplomacy in the current international context.

Argentina's Ministry of Foreign Affairs is convinced that parliamentary diplomacy is a fundamental tool to strengthen cooperation among parliaments and foster better understanding among peoples. It significantly complements traditional diplomacy as it facilitates dialogue among States through their legislative powers and collaborates in promoting foreign policy.

In this regard, parliamentary friendship groups are a key instrument of parliamentary diplomacy as they allow to accompany, support and deepen bilateral and regional relations for the benefit of our societies as well as to promote joint work in multilateral organizations to confront international conflict.

To that end, a closer coordination between the Foreign Ministry and the National Chamber of Deputies through the articulation of a working mechanism will enrich the working agendas of each parliamentary friendship group of friends.