Mondino in Vienna: meetings with local investors and the Austrian Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Economy

As part of her working agenda in Vienna, Foreign Minister Mondino was received this morning by her counterpart, the Federal Minister for European and International Affairs, Alexander Schallenberg; the Federal Minister of Labour and Economy, Martin Kocher; and local investors. Then, she officially presented the Argentine Pallas reactor and opened an exhibition on Argentina's nuclear sector at the General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

During their meeting, Foreign Ministers Mondino and Schallenberg agreed on their interest in deepening the bilateral relationship, as well as on the importance of diversifying and expanding trade and investments and promoting cultural and scientific exchange between both countries.Schallenberg stated that "Argentina is one of our most important Latin American partners in the political, economic and cultural fields."

Mondino said that Austria is also very important for Argentina at the bilateral, interregional and multilateral level, as both countries share core values, such as republican democracy, individual freedoms, and disarmament and no-proliferation.

The Austrian Foreign Minister expressed his interest in learning more about the current situation in Latin America, especially in Venezuela, so Mondino offered him details on the actions carried out at national and regional level. Then, they discussed the effects of the Russian aggression against Ukraine.

In addition, the Argentine Foreign Minister offered an overview on the ongoing economic reforms aimed at liberalizing the economy and attracting investments. In this respect, Foreign Minister Schallenberg mentioned the growing interest of Austrian companies in potential investments in our country. Mondino referred to the opening of the new Acon Timber's sawmill facility in the Province of Corrientes in April. Acon Timber, an HS Timber Group company, is one of the most important wood processing companies in Argentina. With headquarters in Austria, Acon Timber focuses its operations in wood processing, trade in wood products and bioenergy production. This new sawmill is the result of an USD 250-million investment and its production will be destined for export. The Foreign Minister stressed that the forestry sector was included in the recently approved Large Investment Promotion Regime (RIGI), which is a token of the Argentine Government's willingness to build a favourable environment for investments exceeding USD 200 million and to provide greater guarantees to these initiatives.

During her meeting with the Federal Minister of Labour and Economy, Martin Kocher, Mondino expressed Argentina's interest in deepening the economic-trade relationship with Austria by increasing trade. The meeting was also attended by businesspeople and high-level authorities of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Economy and the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber.

Mondino explained Argentina's potential in sectors such as energy and biotechnology and then stated: "The economic policy implemented by the Argentine Government aims at building a stable and predictable business environment.This is the perfect framework to increaseAustrian investments, not only in the sectors which already have Austrian presence, but also in other dynamic sectors, such as transport, energy and the knowledge industry."

The Foreign Minister also mentioned that the recent visit by the Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Mathias Cormann, to Argentina was a very important step towards Argentina's accession to the OECD, of which Austria has been a Member State since 1960.

Argentina's exhibition at the IAEA:

Later, Foreign Minister Mondino opened the Argentine exhibition at the IAEA headquarters, with the attendance of IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi.

Funded by agencies and companies in the nuclear sector, mainly by INVAP, the National Atomic Energy Commission and Combustibles Nucleares Argentinos SA, the exhibition contributes to disseminating the sector's potential and serves as a meeting point to establish contacts and meet with delegations and representatives of the nuclear industry from other countries.

"This exhibition makes it possible for us to show the high level of development of the Argentine nuclear sector, as well as its technological capacities, which provide cooperation opportunities with various countries, either with those taking their first steps in nuclear technology or energy, or with those interested in expanding their capacities or extending the useful life of their facilities," Foreign Minister Mondino stated.

Presentation of the Argentine Pallas Reactor

In addition, Mondino participated in the presentation of "Pallas", a nuclear reactor for research and production of radioisotopes for medical uses. Argentina is currently constructing this reactor through INVAP in Petten, Netherlands. The Foreign Minister said that "the signing of the agreement between INVAP and the Pallas Foundation in 2018 was another milestone in the strong and historic relationship between Argentina and the Netherlands."

She recalled that "this was not INVAP's first export. The company has experience in the design and construction of these kinds of reactors in other regions, such as Australia, Egypt, Algeria and Peru, but Pallas is the first project in Europe." Furthermore, Mondino stated that "Argentina's commitment to the peaceful use of nuclear energy is evidenced by the projects of INVAP, Argentina's flagship high technology company, as well as the contributions of the entire nuclear ecosystem led by the National Atomic Energy Commission.

In this respect, the Foreign Minister explained that "the Pallas reactor, currently under construction, will replace the HFR reactor, which supplies over 60% of the European market with radioisotopes and has reached the end of its useful life. Pallas will be used to meet the high and increasing demand for nuclear medicine in clinical diagnosis and treatment at European and international level. This shows how relevant Pallas will be for the healthcare sector and confirms that nuclear technology can contribute to the improvement of people's lives."

Finally, Mondino stressed that "nuclear applications are providing us with new perspectives on the challenges we face today in terms of health, food security and water resource management, among others. Argentina is ready to join in the efforts of the global community to find the solutions needed. I hope Pallas will be the gateway for more INVAP projects in Europe."

Brazilian-Argentine Agency for Accounting and Control of Nuclear Materials: Example of cooperation and trust

In the afternoon, Foreign Minister Mondino held a meeting with authorities of the Brazilian-Argentine Agency for Accounting and Control of Nuclear Materials (ABACC), which is in charge of the application of safeguards in Argentina and Brazil.

Mondino conveyed to the Secretary of ABACC, Marco Marzo, and the Deputy Secretary, Agustín Arbor González, Argentina's commitment to the Agency and underscored that it has become a global example of cooperation and trust between countries in a critical and strategic area.

"By creating ABACC, both countries gained the confidence of the rest of the world, as the agency is a global example of trust," added Leonardo Sobehart, Chair of the Board of the Nuclear Regulatory Authority. ABACC Secretary Marco Marzo agreed that the Agency "provides a solid foundation for mutual trust and cooperation."

Finally, both delegations discussed growing nuclear programmes and important challenges ahead, as well as Brazil's negotiations regarding its naval nuclear propulsion programme.

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