MEXICO CITY, June 24, (AP): Argentina's self-described anarcho-capitalist President Javier Milei met with German officials on Sunday in Berlin, part of his ongoing lap of Europe which has been greeted with both celebration and outrage.
In a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Sunday, the two leaders discussed Argentina's radical economic shifts and "the importance of having critical minerals" - likely Argentina's vast stores of lithium used in the global energy transition - wrote Manuel Adroni, a spokesperson for Milei, in a statement on Sunday.
"The meeting between President Milei and Chancellor Scholz and their teams showed two leaders with a convergent vision, with the same principles and values in international politics and focused on solving key geopolitical challenges for the West,” Adroni wrote.
The German government said in a short statement Sunday the leaders spoke about the repercussions Milei's drastic economic cuts could have on Argentines and said Scholz reminded Milei of the importance of maintaining "social cohesion” while the leader attempts to control Argentina's sharp inflation.
Also on the agenda was their sustained support for Ukraine and Israel, a trade agreement between the European Union and the countries of the Latin American Mercosur trade bloc, and concerns about democracy in the upcoming Venezuelan elections, according to Argentina's government.
Center-left leader Scholz's politics and style contrast sharply with those of the Argentine president.
Milei, a right-wing figure known for his unfiltered way of speaking, was elected last year on the promise to fix Argentina’s troubled economy and to "make Argentina great again.”