Embajada de EEUU en Argentina (U.S. Embassy in Argentina), via Wikimedia CommonsSourceCC BY 2.0Crop made on Wikimedia Commons from the original Flickr photo. No further changes by DI.
Pablo Quirno is an Argentine economist and government official who is Argentina's minister of foreign affairs, international trade and worship under President Javier Milei. He previously served as secretary of finance in the Milei government and held economic posts during the presidency of Mauricio Macri.
Role at the time: Argentine Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship, speaking at the IAEF annual convention
Defended or excused
Statement summary
Speaking at the annual convention of the Argentine Institute of Finance Executives, Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno said the government's measures are meant to create a disincentive so that oil companies must choose between investing in the disputed area under licences Argentina calls illegal and doing business in Argentina. He said Law 26,659 already sanctioned companies operating in the islands, but that when it was passed in 2011 Vaca Muerta did not exist to give companies a reason to choose.
“Today what we are doing is creating that disincentive, so that they have to choose between investing in a disputed territory, with illegal licenses, or coming to Argentina with legal certainty and greater business potential. (Translated from Spanish. Original: hoy lo que estamos haciendo es generar ese desincentivo, que tengan que elegir entre invertir en un terreno disputado, con licencias ilegales, o que vengan a Argentina con seguridad jurídica y mayor potencialidad de negocios)”
Open source (opens in a new tab)Canciller argentino advierte a petroleras que deberán elegir entre Vaca Muerta o MalvinasReport on Quirno's remarks at the 47th IAEF annual convention
Why we used this label
Relative to Argentina's sanctions and legal action against companies in the Sea Lion project, Quirno explains and supports the measures as a deliberate disincentive that makes companies choose between the islands and Argentina. He defends the measures, so we labeled it Defended.
Argentina is sanctioning UK and Israeli oil firms exploring near the Falkland Islands, calling the Sea Lion project illegal. The UK and the companies say the project holds valid Falkland Islands licenses. The dispute is whether Argentina's sanctions and legal action are justified.
