(Special delivery) – During his first appearance before the G7 who deliberates in the Bavarian Alps, in Germany, the President Alberto Fernandez invited to open a channel for dialogue between Russia and Ukraine to end the war in Europe and demanded the creation of a new world order to end global poverty.

“Argentina condemned the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation. Once again, we demand full respect for all principles of multilateralism. We believe in the peaceful settlement of disputes and full respect for human rights,” assured the head of state, who also presented himself as president pro tempore of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC).

And he added: “From the beginning, we demanded the cessation of hostilities. Now we need to encourage dialogue between the parties involved. History shows that every conflict has come to an end, with agreements reached on the basis of concrete initiatives. Let us now take the initiative to seek peace. Let’s do it before it’s too late.”

The official presentation lasted four minutes and was heard by the President of the United States, Joe Biden; german chancellor Olaf Scholz; the French president, Emmanuel Macron; the Italian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau; Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau; and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson, among other Western leaders.

It was so hot in Elmau Castle that Alberto Fernández took off his tie before starting his presentation. A change of look forced by the absence of air conditioning in a country which is also suffering the consequences of the war in Ukraine.

The argument of the president crossed the various chapters of the geopolitical agenda which concern rich countries as well as poor countries. The President listed the economic and social consequences of the war, demanded a new multilateral model that does not punish middle-income states and warned – once again – of the impact caused by climate change on the whole planet.

“The whole world, and not just Europe, needs a lasting, resilient and solid peace”, stressed the Head of State, who was accompanied by Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero.

then finished: “The war that concerns us is a tragedy. Trade flows and logistics, already badly damaged during the pandemic, have reached a critical point. The seas are militarized. War promotes arms spending to the detriment of investments in proteins, health or education that humanity so badly needs.

There was also a reference to the Marshall plan, the White House’s planned million-dollar public infrastructure, industrial modernization and labor flexibility program just to prevent the Soviet Union from advancing on European countries which were destroyed by World War II.

“In Latin America and the Caribbean, we are not dreaming of a new Marshall Plan. We never had one. But we dream of a new international order where the efforts are balanced and the benefits are fairly distributed. We dream of not being discriminated against by the central world and condemned to marginality and oblivion,” assured the president.

From this ideological position, Alberto Fernández raised the need to create a new world order that allocates the resources needed to end poverty at the ends of the planet.

“In order to face such challenges, I want to raise my voice at this Summit to advocate for the construction of a new international financial architecture that includes the peripheries of the world”, he underlined in another passage of his speech.

And he added: “The special drawing rights issued by the IMF are an opportunity to improve social conditions. Channeling of SDRs through the Resilience and Sustainability Fund should be increased, including in middle-income countries. They must not be instruments intended to increase the reserves of central banks which do not need them. They must have a social meaning by capitalizing the regional banks to finance the infrastructures necessary for the development that climate change also requires”.

Alberto Fernández also recalled that the G20 in Rome had called for the reduction of surcharges charged by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to countries that received credits greater than their contributions as partners of the multilateral organization.

It is a diplomatic triumph for Argentina that the IMF does not plan to accept until further notice.

“The policy of surcharges imposed by the IMF should also be reviewed. They constitute an inadmissible penalty in the dramatic circumstances we are experiencing today,” insisted the Head of State.

Ultimately, Alberto Fernández highlighted the delays that the most powerful countries have committed to meeting the requirements of the Paris Agreement on climate change, which it has always defended in all multilateral forums.

“It is a real scandal that future generations will not forgive us, the fact that the global budget for destructive weapons is increasing, while the global contributions to the Green Climate Fund are not yet met.“, concluded the Head of State.

KEEP READING: