Amb. Hugo Javier Gobbi, Envoy of Argentina to India, said due to rising geopolitical tensions focus of all countries have shifted to buying more arms than spending on development

New Delhi: Argentina is keen on buying a wide range of military hardware from India as it continues to negotiate the proposals to procure Tejas fighter planes, military choppers and BrahMos missiles from New Delhi, according to Hugo Javier Gobbi, the Ambassador of Argentina to India.

Envoy Hugo Javier Gobbi said bilateral relations between India and Argentina were elevated to the level of a Strategic Partnership in 2019 and both sides have been since working towards enhancing the defence and security partnership between them.

Speaking exclusively to ABP Live, Gobbi said the bilateral relations between India and Argentina were elevated to the level of a Strategic Partnership in 2019 and both sides have been since working towards enhancing the defence and security partnership between them. Under this strategic partnership, Argentina has for the first time shown interest in acquiring India’s indigenous Tejas light combat aircraft (LCA).

“Tejas aeroplanes are very much under consideration (by Argentine Air Force) … The talks on procuring Tejas are progressing very much between India and Argentina. This is a complex area... We have signed agreements with HAL on maintenance of helicopters. There is a lot of interest in helicopters and that area is evolving very fast,” said Gobbi.

Earlier this year, the Argentine Air Force had sent a team of pilots and technical experts to India to assess and evaluate the Tejas fighter jets and even flew the aircraft. According to Ambassador Gobbi, the team was “very much impressed by India's industrial and technological capacity in this area".

The envoy, however, said the only hurdle facing the deal is the presence of British components in these fighter planes. India has offered the Tejas Mk1 aircraft without the British parts in them but the customisation will be done only when Argentina places the final order for a proposed batch of 16 fighters.

“Argentina is seeing India as a partner for the development of Argentina’s military base and as a new source for buying military equipment, so there is a lot of talk on cooperation in the defence industry and a lot of significant projects are being studied,” the envoy said.

The Argentine Air Force is also looking at JF-17 fighters, which has been jointly developed by China and Pakistan, US F-16, MiG-35 of Russia, and South Korea’s FA-50.

Argentina and the United Kingdom are engaged in a territorial dispute over the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands, a disputed archipelago in the South Atlantic. As a result, Argentina cannot buy arms that have British parts in them.

“There are some technical difficulties not linked to the aeroplanes but linked to some components and that can be a great difficulty… These are very complex and difficult negotiations,” he said, adding that India will find a way to develop and induct ‘Made in India’ components in the planes.

India is in talks with Argentina to also export the Dhruv advanced light helicopters (ALH) and BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles.

Last month, Argentina's Defence Minister Jorge Enrique Taiana visited India to discuss the deals. He met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and also visited the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) facility in Bangalore. During the visit, both sides also signed a letter of intent (LoI) for the acquisition of light and medium utility choppers.

Prior to this, Argentina’s Joint Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Juan Martin Paleo and the Air Force Chief also visited India to push the talks.

“We have seen the technology and how our military is impressed with the BrahMos and the helicopters. So there are many possibilities that are developing and there are also conversations going on munition, for which an Argentine delegation visited Pune," Gobbi said.

‘India Is An Autonomous Player In International Field’

According to Gobbi, Argentina is now looking at India seriously for procuring defence platforms because the South American country believes India is “an autonomous player in the international field".

“That has to be taken into account. India is a leader in the Global South and Argentina is a very important player in the Global South and in Latin America. So there are complementarities. Both countries have autonomous views of what is significant in the world, so the possibilities of partnership are immense,” he said.

On the Russia-Ukraine War, the Argentine envoy particularly said: “For Argentina, like India, territorial integrity is a central principle as in the UN Charter. This conflict, for Argentina, reminds us how these principles need to be respected by all.”

Indirectly referring to the Falkland Islands dispute, Gobbi said: “It reminds us that two-thirds of Argentinian naval and maritime projection is occupied by a colonial power, who is 14,000 kms away and who has built a strong military base in an area that is one of the most peaceful areas of the world.”

He added: “So the issue (Russia-Ukraine war) has a great significance for Argentina … We are always backing international law and the UN Charter and we are asking some of the global powers to behave according to their international systems and laws."

India and Argentina are also engaged in civil nuclear deal talks under the framework of the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation for the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy.

‘India Has Been Wise In Proposing Its G20 Agenda’

The Argentine envoy also highlighted that Buenos Aires is satisfied with India’s G20 agenda as New Delhi has kept the focus on developmental issues that are significant for the Global South.

“The agenda allows the G20 to move forward on issues of significance to us… India has managed to move forward the G20 making us really feel as ‘One Family’ without putting any limitations due to the great powers confrontation. It has been able to save the G20 process,” said Gobbi.

Argentina, which is a member of the G20, will be represented by their President Alberto Fernandez at the upcoming Leaders’ Summit that India will be hosting on September 9-10.

‘Tanks, Missiles Cannot Stop Climate Change’

According to Gobbi, the ongoing Russia-Ukraine War and the soaring tensions between the US and China have adversely impacted the Global South in several ways but most importantly it has given rise to growing economic fragmentation.

“Fragmentation says you cannot trade with this partner, you can only trade with that partner. In that case, you have to buy at a more expensive price and you will have to sell at a cheaper price and for the Global South that is unacceptable. We have to keep the world economy open for all and for the countries to be able to trade with everybody,” the envoy said.

He also said that due to these rising tensions, there is more and more expenditure on defence and less on development.

“Climate change is having a huge impact on the Global South. There are tornadoes, forest fires, and droughts. Argentina suffered a drought that wiped out $23 billion (worth) of exports. You will not stop climate change with tanks, with missiles and that’s affecting the budgets of many countries,” he said.

He added, due to this reason trade with India might also get hit, which had crossed $7 billion for the first time in 2022.

Indian investments have also been growing in Argentina. From manufacturing Royal Enfield Bullets to securing Lithium blocks in Argentina, the Indian private sector is investing in the Latin American country in a significant way.