the national government blocked the entry into the country of a ship of Russian origin that was transporting Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)which attempted a “triangulation” operation, by virtue of the sanctions that this product drags at the international level.
The vessel belonged to the Swedish company Gunvor based in Amsterdam, and its cargo manifest stated that the origin of the LNG was Russia, after having carried out a transfer operation in France. Official sources indicated that it was a triangulation strategy: the gas was loaded in Russia, they made the transfer in France and then took the hydrocarbon to Argentina.
It is worth noting that Russian gas, having sanctions, can be obtained at a lower price and it was intended to sell it to Argentina at market price.
Consulted in this regard, the Minister of Economy Sergio Massa assured: “Enarsa blocked that delivery because it violates the contract because it is a company with sanctions. That has to do with respecting the international framework, defending sovereignty, but getting out of the idea that if one goes to one side or the other, they have to go in a diminished condition. Argentina is a great country”.
At the same time, he maintained that “the world has a system of sanctions and that has to do with respecting the international framework.” And he explained why a country like Argentina cannot be considered “decreased”: “It is a great country, the eighth country in the world, it is the second world reserve of shale gas, it is the fourth world reserve of shale oil, it is the Number one in the lithium triangle along with Brazil and Chile, it is the producer together with Brazil and Paraguay of 25% of the proteins consumed by the world. Why go diminished to the table of countries? In any case we have to find an internal order”.
On another level, Massa also made reference to the open negotiation with the International Monetary Fund to renegotiate some guidelines of the program that the multilateral organization maintains with Argentina.
“The first thing we want is for them to respect us as an economic team and as a country. It has to do with sustaining levels of social investment that protect our people and not resigning the role of the state. The second thing is to consolidate a package that allows us to have an order in the accounts, understanding that this order is badly hurt by the drought, but USD 6 billion less in tax revenue must be added,” the official completed.
Argentine News Agency