Argentina Partners Nigeria On Agriculture

Argentina has indicated interest to co-operate with Nigeria in many fields of human endeavours, with particular focus on agriculture and energy, the Argentine Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr Hector Timerman, has disclosed.

Timerman told newsmen in Buenos Aires that “the co-operation is the focus of the newly-signed bilateral agreement between the two countries’’.

Argentina and Nigeria had on Tuesday in Buenos Aires signed a cooperation agreement, with Timerman signing for Argentina, while Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Odein Ajumogobia, signed on behalf of the Federal Government.

Timerman said “Argentina has found it very important to establish a deeper and stronger relationship with Nigeria.

“Knowing that Nigeria is one of the big leaders of a continent as important as Africa, it is for us very high in our policies to establish a deeper relationship with Nigeria.

“The recent two-day visit by Nigeria´s foreign affairs minister is an engine to move forward the co-operation between our two countries and I have promised him that I will on my part very soon visit Nigeria too.”

Timerman, whose portfolio also covers International Trade and Worship, said “we will co-operate in agriculture, energy and in many fields of human resources, but in many areas that can contribute to the well-being of our people.”

Speaking on the bilateral agreement, Ajumogobia said it was a way of strenghtening the South-South co-operation in world trade and politics.

He said “we have been talking about South-South co-operation for a very long time, but no major advancement has been seen.

“Now, we believe that it is through broadening and deepening our bilateral relations across the South-South divide that we can enhance trade and investment in both countries.”

Ajumogobia said Nigeria believes that Argentina has a lot to offer to derive mutual benefits from the agreement.

“We believe that Argentina has a lot to offer us. Food security is one of our priorities and Argentina is renowned in the agricultural sector.

“So, we believe there is a lot we can benefit in terms of transfer of technology, in terms of co-operation and so on.

´´We are hopeful that there will be investment in other areas like the power sector as well as oil and gas sector.

“Argentina is already operating in the Niger-Delta region, in the area of oil pipelines.”

The foreign affairs minister said the new bilateral agreement is wider and covers so many areas.

“There is so much else in it, but as this is the first official visit at this level of a Nigerian official like the foreign minister, it is the beginning of a new relationship that will be based on economic development and cultural exchanges,´´ he said.

He gave the assurance that the Nigerian government was set to explore all aspects of the co-operation in the nearest future for the mutual benefit of both countries.