Thank you President Macri.  Thank you Mauricio.  Good afternoon everyone.  Thank you so much for joining us.  It’s great to be here in beautiful Buenos Aires. 

I’d like to start by thanking Mauricio for the very warm welcome he and his team have extended to our Canadian delegation.  This is my first official visit as Prime Minister, not just to Argentina but to all of South America, and I’m thrilled to have the chance to discuss the things that matter to Canadians and Argentines alike.

The President and I met earlier today alongside our respective delegations.  We talked about the importance of growing and strengthening the middle class in our countries, and we reached some important agreements that we believe will do just that.

Canada and Argentina have agreed to work together in a number of areas going forward.  To start: we share a commitment to promoting inclusive growth, innovation, and trade.  On this, we will, among other things, restore Canadian pork access to the Argentinian market.  This is good for Canadian farmers and families, and will allow Argentines to access top quality Canadian product.

Further, we will increase our collaboration on sustainable mining in Argentina.  This effort will ensure that resource development is done in a way that is properly regulated, environmentally conscious, and socially responsible.

Our two countries also understand the importance of democracy and protecting human rights. On that score, we have agreed to re‑establish annual Canada-Argentina consultations on human rights. Those consultations have been suspended since 2013, and we think the time has come to resume regular discussions on this important issue.

Canada has also had tremendous success in our resettlement of almost 35,000 Syrian refugees.  We’re wildly recognized as a world leader for these efforts and we want to help our international friends and partners in reaching their own goals.  Continuing on this path, Canada will help facilitate the resettlement of 3,000 Syrian refugees here in Argentina.  Specifically, we will provide advice and assistance in the areas of private sponsorship, security screening, and integration.

Finally, the President and I agree on the importance of robust, multilateral engagement.  We understand that within our broader global community, countries must collaborate to reach common goals.  To this end, Mauricio and I have agreed to work together at the World Trade Organization to further a trade agenda that is progressive and inclusive – one that will create good jobs for more people and grow the middle class.

The agreements we reached today are yet another demonstration of the longstanding friendship and partnership between our two countries.  I’m looking forward to a close, productive relationship with President Macri in the years to come.  This is an exciting time for Canada and it’s an exciting time for Argentina.

Our governments can and will promote diversity, engage in good governance, and create prosperity for all of our citizens, and we’ll do it by working together.

Thank you very much.

(Applause)