King Felipe and Queen Letizia’s state visit to Argentina began with a welcome at the presidential residence, Casa Rosada (Pink House in English), hosted by President Mauricio Macri and his wife, First Lady Juliana Awada on Monday.
The welcome ceremony provided for discussions on the reforms taking place in Argentina and President Macri thanked the King and Queen for their visit which shows their support for what the President called a “moment of change” in his country.
The King also spoke of Spain’s constant support for Argentina even in “difficult times” adding, “We are very aware of the situation that has gone through in economic terms, and we support all of its reform programmes that are underway.”
A bilateral meeting with representatives from both countries, including King Felipe and President Macri, then took place. At the same time, the Queen and First Lady held a meeting on early childhood and rare diseases.
The group reunited in the afternoon for lunch, hosted by the President and First Lady.
Although the ceremony was the official welcome, Their Majesties had already undertaken one engagement on Monday morning when the King laid a wreath at the Monument to the Liberator Don Jose de San Martin before moving on to Casa Rosada.
© Casa de SM el Rey
After lunch, King Felipe visited the Palace of the Congress; later in the evening, he and the Queen attended a gala dinner hosted by the President and First Lady.
Day two had the King attending a business breakfast meeting with Argentine and Spanish businessmen and President Macri. Next, he participated in a conference “Buenos Aires, Good Ideas” organised by Cotec. There he spoke about Argentina saying, “It is often said that Argentina is a country rich in natural resources, which is true; but it is also true, and certainly more important, to point out that it is a country rich in human resources.”
The afternoon saw King Felipe and Queen Letizia meet the Spanish community in Argentina before the King held an audience with the Latin American Jewish Congress who presented him with the Shalom Prize. According to Casa Real, the prize is “an award that is granted as recognition to those people or organisations that stand out in their efforts in the construction of the peace.”
In the evening, the King and Queen held a reception in honour of President Macri and First Lady Awada. This brought an end to the official state visit but not the end to the trip to Argentina as the royals had an engagement on Wedensday in another Argentine city.
The King and Queen hosted a reception for the President and First Lady. © Casa de SM el Rey
On Wednesday, Their Majesties were in Córdoba to participate in the opening of the VIII International Congress of the Spanish Language (CILE) under the theme “America and the future of Spanish. Culture and education, technology and entrepreneurship.”
The King and Queen held an audience with the Spanish community in Córdoba in the evening.
Casa Real has said the trip “serves to highlight and reinforce the historical bonds and the bilateral relations between both countries.”
This state visit comes just a few days after the conclusion of Queen Margrethe and Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark’s state visit to the country.
The King and Queen of Spain were accompanied on their tour by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, Josep Borrell and the Secretary of State for Commerce, Xiana Méndez.
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