Argentine foreign policy will have economic focus

Significance

President Mauricio Macri's recent participation in the Davos World Economic Forum (WEF) represents the start of a new approach in Argentine foreign policy. Foreign relations are one of the areas in which policy shifts will be most evident, due in part to the fact that the executive has greater autonomy vis-a-vis Congress than in other areas. The unexpected appointment of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's former chief of staff, Susana Malcorra, as foreign minister has been widely welcomed.

Impacts

• Relations with traditional partners like the United States and EU will take precedence over allies like Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador.
• The government will seek to conduct relations with the largest number of countries in an "intelligent and pragmatic" way.
• Congress is likely to prove a stumbling block in efforts to resolve outstanding defaulted debt.