Argentina’s President-elect Javier Milei made his first international trip since winning a presidential runoff earlier this month, meeting with senior Biden administration officials at the White House. Milei, a right-wing libertarian and former economist who admires former U.S. President Donald Trump, had a “positive meeting” with White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan. The president-elect’s office said the meeting saw Milei expressing his views on the international geopolitical agenda aligned with the West and his commitment to the values of freedom, while Sullivan conveyed the willingness of the United States to cooperate in the transition of the incoming Argentine government.
The meeting also addressed shared priorities such as investing in technology and clean energy, advocating for human rights, and standing up for democracies around the world. Milei’s aides also met with U.S. Treasury Department officials while in Washington.
Milei won the Nov. 19 presidential runoff election with a strong libertarian agenda, promising deep cuts in spending to address Argentina’s red-hot inflation and advocating for the replacement of the country’s peso with the U.S. dollar. He is set to take office on December 10.
The IMF, which has a loan program providing $44 billion to Argentina, also met with Milei’s aides to discuss the country’s complex challenges and plans for strengthening stability and sustainable growth.
AP writer Paul Wiseman contributed to this report. Politi reported from Buenos Aires.
