New trade initiatives aim to strengthen Israeli-Argentine ties

Saar announced that Israel will open new economic attaché offices in Buenos Aires in 2026 to support expanding trade activity.

By Pesach Benson, TPS

Israel and Argentina deepened economic cooperation as Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar led a high-level business delegation to Buenos Aires, announcing new trade initiatives and signing agreements aimed at expanding bilateral commerce.

Saar and Argentine Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno opened a business forum on Monday with representatives from Israel’s security, cyber, renewable energy, technology, and science sectors.

The event followed a similar forum held a day earlier in Paraguay as part of Saar’s regional tour.

During the Argentina visit, the Manufacturers Association of Israel signed a memorandum of understanding with the Argentine Industrial Union (UIA), laying what both sides described as the groundwork for expanded industrial collaboration.

The agreement aims to promote joint ventures, facilitate market access, and strengthen diplomatic ties.

Saar highlighted Argentina’s shifting economic direction under President Javier Milei, saying the changes create new space for partnership.

“President Milei is re-paving Argentina’s path to greatness,” he said.

“Over the years, failed leaderships have repeatedly damaged the Argentine economy. But today Argentina is on the right track. I believe that when you combine this with Israeli talent and technology and mutual investment opportunities, something significant can happen.”

The foreign minister also announced that Israel will open new economic attaché offices in Buenos Aires in 2026 to support expanding trade activity.

“We want to dramatically increase our investments in Argentina,” Sa’ar explained.

The Israeli trade delegation includes government officials, business leaders, and representatives from the Export Institute and Chamber of Commerce.

The delegation included individuals from the fields of security, cyber, renewable energy, technology, and science and met with their Argentine counterparts to identify areas of cooperation.

“The signing of the memorandum of understanding today is an important step in establishing a long-term business relationship between Israel and Argentina, which is doubly important for strengthening trade with countries that support Israel and have stood by us for the past two years. The innovation and capabilities of Israeli industry will contribute significantly to the development of Argentine industry, while at the same time opening a gateway to a developing market with enormous potential for Israeli companies,” said President of the Israeli Manufacturers Association Dr. Ron Tomer.

On Tuesday, Milei told Sa’ar he intends to open Argentina’s new embassy in Jerusalem in the spring.

The move would make Argentina the eighth country to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, joining Fiji, the United States, Guatemala, Honduras, Kosovo, Papua New Guinea, and Paraguay.

Milei has been promoting what he calls the “Isaac Accords,” a partnership between Israel and Latin American democracies—particularly Costa Rica, Panama, and Uruguay.

The initiative is modeled after the 2020 Abraham Accords that normalized relations between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and subsequently Sudan, brokered by Donald Trump’s first presidential administration.