davos. wa nts davos. 620. of poor 620. of a poor relationship. my guess argentina's foreign ministerjorge seven months into thejob, faurie. seven months into thejob, what is his assessment of ties with 47.7 faurie, —' welcome to hardtalk. thank you very much for inviting me. two years ago when the president took office he said he wanted to improve relations with the world and argentina's said he wanted to improve relations with the wm can 1d argentina's said he wanted to improve relations with the wm can you 'gentina's what g what 2.252 1225155 ” are ' " ”""' " 77,7, what z’f: 115sz w are trying www ,. 777" what z’f: 115sz w are trying to "r ,. 777" reopeng reopen g —— to each of ii”? a iii”? a new cause g a new cause with wanted to charge a new cause with washington, the relations between argentina and the united states have been extremely poor. are they good now? we have done a lot of work together, both countries. we have been open in our political dialogue. were having good economic relations. inafew were having good economic relations. in a few days we will receive rex tillerson. we have had the vice president visit. we have a dialogue which is constructive. recognising the differences that we have. constructive dialogue with the united states at a time when you have donald trump in the white house. he says he wants to build a wall to keep the mexicans out. a former centrist colombian president said that this is a wall that will separate cars latin americans from the united states because if you affect mexico, you affect latin america. argentina wants to hug him but he wants to keep the region at arm ‘s length. but he wants to keep the region at arm 's length. we have good relations with all the countries. the wall is not in place. we are discussing the bilateral relations of argentina in dialogue and politics but also importantly for us, dialogue for business. what we can sell to the us and what they wa nt to can sell to the us and what they want to sell to us. this is an important market. i will come to economics in a moment but i'm just saying that you say you want to have a warm relationship with the united states. i did not say that... you do not want warm ties with the united states 7 not want warm ties with the united states? you want a cold relationship? we have a constructive relationship? we have a constructive relationship from all countries and we learn from each about what we can do. i think we have established, president macri has established a dialogue with president trump that is good and it allows us to call whenever we need to say we have a problem that we need to solve. one problematic thing between latin america, south america, central america, south america, central america and washington, sometimes it is the use of president trump's colourful language. for example, it he did not want migrants from countries like el salvador and haiti saying that they are ? — whole countries. —— f —— s—hole countries. we share with all the latin american countries, were opened to migrants and we respect the entity of each country and the characteristic of each. it was offensive language, wasn't it? it is language that is not good for dialogue. you said we are open to immigration from countries in latin america. that is not quite the case because in 2017, president macri's government curbed immigration to argentina from poorer countries in latin america. he said his first concern was caring for argentines, caring for ourselves. where is your latin american solidarity? in our country with emigration from bolivia, uruguay and paraguay, peru and chile, we have plenty of people coming after the situation in venezuela. we are country situation in venezuela. we are cou ntry after 1942 situation in venezuela. we are country after 1942 has opened frontiers. what did he mean then? the president was referring to us not doing any military control because we have an open border and we do not struck —— restraint —— restrict the entry. it meant that newcomers from poorer countries in latin america were not so welcome. in latin america you have poor people, in all countries including argentina. it is not against poor people, we just want to know who is coming and where they are from. people, we just want to know who is coming and where they are fromm did provoke them reaction in the region. the president of bolivia said that brothers, latin american presidents, we cannot follow the immigration policies of the north. i mean, it sounds like... he may not have wa nted mean, it sounds like... he may not have wanted to say but there is concern that he may be tried to follow trump's america first policy. bolivians working and living in argentina and they are a constructive part argentina and they are a constructive pa rt of argentina and they are a constructive part of our society. the same goes for peruvians and paraguay and. their own neighbourhoods in different areas of big cities in argentina which are the libyan arab lion. is the point wa nted the libyan arab lion. is the point wanted to make. this triggered a debate in the country. some people wa nted debate in the country. some people wanted to make an issue of something which is not. i know which duped radio station you are referring to. the radio show host said that the government wants to die let the fact that a large share of us are children or grandchildren of immigrants, including president macri himself. we are all descended from a boat here in argentina. we have no particular issue of race, religion or whatever to make a difference. migrants happen all the time in argentina because we are migrants ourselves. you accept them that when president macri said this it triggered a debate that created concern that you may be following donald trump's rhetoric. some elements of the press, some for political reasons but it was not a societal issue. you see one a constructive dialogue with the united states. andras oppen oppenheimer, a latin american editor, he wrote in december that so far the trump administration has only pursued a negative of gender towards the region, opposing trade, immigration and environmental agreements and cutting foreign aid without offering any constructive plans to improve hemispheric ties. it sounds you are extending the hand but it is not being reciprocated.” cannot speak about myself and my own situation. we have a constructive dialogue in terms of trade. we have investment from the american companies. we have been reinstated in the generalised system of preferences which lowers commercial barriers. our dialogue with the united states is good. it has in the united states is good. it has in the united imposed tariffs on argentine bio diesel? we look to europe and a second... trade tariffs on argentine bio diesel? this is something that happens with different countries to discuss how to construct the price of bio diesel. week, the eu, they did the same. we went to the wto and we won the panel. now the americans are doing this because there are people in the us who are still affected. we say we are not being affected. we say we are not being affected the close you import from many other countries. let's discuss this. this does not mean that the relationship is good or bad. it is a commercial issue. you just said that we wa nt commercial issue. you just said that we want to open up trade. and we are. we are. yet here you have the united states imposing tariffs. were sending food, lemons, we are sending pork, were sending different things to the united states. we have our discussion concerning bio diesel. that is all. president macri, before assuming the president ship was mirror of buenos aires and a former business associate of donald trump. does not have a conflict of interest? between him and his ties with donald trump? many years ago they thought about building something together in new york. they thought about building something together in new yorkm did not happen at all. is at all? i can tell you what the report say. press reports say that when president macri phone to donald trump to congratulate him on the coming president, donald trump's daughter was also on the phone. donald trump asked president macri to approve construction of a $100 million trump tower in buenos aires. i think that that is very far—fetched from the press. i think that that is very far-fetched from the press. so that is not true. as leaders denied this assertion but can you tell us what happened? president macri called him to congratulate him on his election and he remembered that they have beenin and he remembered that they have been in touch sometimes and that is it. i know you, you know me, that is good. it is good to have someone that i know sitting in the white house. cedar believer will create a conflict of interest? not at all. another aspect of your foreign wallasey in argentina is that you wa nt to wallasey in argentina is that you want to promote human rights and democracy in the region to bring an ethical dimensional to foreign policy. we do promote human rights. this is a long—standing position of argentina after the ending of the military dictatorship. it is a permanent policy of all government in argentina including mine. you have an ethical dimensional to foreign policy but when it comes to venezuela and what is going on there and the president is that the president there is having and the protests a nd president there is having and the protests and so on and so forth, are you not taking too tougher line about what to do on argentina? what line do you take? you have the possibility of being elected to office, following your ideals, of having political rights and what is the point of this if you cannot feed yourself or have access to medicine. if you're a economy is collapsing and no—one is taking care of you. what is your venezuelan policy then? would you like to see a regime change? we want elections. fair elections that should be done the sooner elections that should be done the sooner the better. but they must be prepared. a fairer election means that you have the government who can control the electoral college that will do the elections because if not it will certainly be rigged. this is something that not only argentina but all of the member of the group of lima are promoting. we want venezuelan to return to democracy. and democracy as all countries recognise it. so you want to regime change? the elections must be free and so far the last election, the municipal ones, the state elections and the one now announced to come later on, they are not clear elections. it is not democratic system. in november last year president macri said that we should bode well for lombardo. the possession of your country is you wa nt possession of your country is you want a full embargo on venezuelan. it is quite difficult to change the situation in terms of having a clear election if the government still receives funds from oil. that as the market. if you want to see that the government pursues our modern democratic line you must emphasise this. set in the united states not to take any more oil from the area. there were problems that made them need to resume the oil from venezuela. the united states has not wa nt to venezuela. the united states has not want to go that far by saying... they have taken measures of their own path, they are seizing all the assets that the leader has. you said there is so much hardship in venezuela, people do not have enough to eat and so on, 95% of venezuela's export revenue comes from the state owned oil company. it is obvious than what happens to the country what happens when you cut off that revenue. we want to call the attention to the change that has to be done for venezuela to become more democratic. this is what would happen if there was a full embargo. local ngos in venezuela are opposed to such a move. and economists said "cutting off the venezuelan government's access to dollars would leave the economy without the hard currency needed to pay for imports of food and medicine, starving the venezuelan economy of its foreign currency earnings. it risks turning the country's current humanitarian crisis into a full—blown humanitarian catastrophe. " crisis into a full—blown humanitarian catastrophe." the embargo is not going on.“ humanitarian catastrophe." the embargo is not going on. if it did happen that is what would happen. the venezuelans are already in a catastrophe. they cannot be themselves, they do not have food. but she would make it worse. your policy of a full us embargo would make it worse. that is what people are saying. the situation today, it is the one you are describing. without even having an embargo. we have to look at the economic situation. when the embargo make it worse? we will discuss that when it comes. president macri has we want a full embargo. we are discussing with the countries in the area what to do with venezuela, hell —— how to help them come back to democracy. cynthia anson, an expert on the area says there is a deep concern on this issue of venezuela and a deep dialogue about what to do, but there is also nobody calling for that tough a lion. generally, latin america is to any us unilateral action. yes. we have been discussing with all the members of the group of lema, what matters to have. these measures always refer to the possibility of doing something in the united nations. unfortunately it is paralysed. the organisation of american states. i venezuela. is paralysed. the organisation of american states. ivenezuela. in is paralysed. the organisation of american states. i venezuela. in the united nations, they are deciding if it isa united nations, they are deciding if it is a social or humanitarian problem in venezuela. the countries who are members of the group of lima would like to have measures and a show good wit —— of goodwill. we wa nt to show good wit —— of goodwill. we want to respect human rights and give the population the population to receive fruit and medicine, not related to their ideological position in me venezuelan society. you want to put pressure on the government ‘s to bring that about. we find different ways to put the venezuelans in attention about what we're doing. we don't put pressure actually to be governments, each country it is different. do want sanctions? we did have sanctions. in terms of the local regional grouping. of which venezuela was a part. we set until you return to democracy part. we set until you return to democrac ou're part. we set until you return to democracy you're no longer a member of the group. you are suspended. that is a kind of sanction. there are other sentence, once the european union has taken. taking the assets of the political leaders. different kind of sanctions. that is what we are moving around. here is argentina now, you have taken over the chairmanship of the g20 and you wa nt to the chairmanship of the g20 and you want to focus on three things in your presidency, which is infrastructure, social inclusion, and food security. just give us a nakia of how you are going to go about achieving this in setting up a dialogue amongst the g20. dialogue amongst the 620. the 620 is a dialogue amongst all the country members who will decide what we can do to improve this, infrastructure is not only coming from the decision of argentina, it is we have been discussing in g20, during the german presidency as well. we violate the possibilities of making a fund to finance the infrastructure needs —— we will discuss. and some other regions as well. in terms of social inclusion, we are very much worried about the impact of the technological revolution which is in impacting the labour market which is causing some types of work to disappear. people need to rhys gill. this comes into education. -- rika skill. within your grouping of countries in latin america, drugs is a lwa ys countries in latin america, drugs is always a big issue, drugs trafficking, there is a growing regional consensus that the war on drugs has failed. it seems that the macri government is adopting a hardline approach which is counter—productive, some people say. why would it be counter—productive to fight drugs? this is affecting our youth, our society, the structure of any countries where it has been successful. look at the presence of different countries in the area. we want to avoid that. we have to have a very clear stance on drugs as we have against terrorism, because there is a connection also, between the business of drugs with terrorism. the criticism is this, i give you an example of what has been said, my fellow burden, a security expert, says the macri government is treating drugs mainly as a security issue, there is no energy devoted to programmes to reducing demand treating addicts. this is that is the part that is missing. you are taking it as a very tough police... we have, many years, different governments, a very clear position in trying to help the ones which have come to the consumption. now we had to pay attention to the security issues that brings the drug business. the other plans are still going on. so far all have been developed over many years. this is a concern to which argentina society pays a lot of attention. the previous government has not paid attention to the control of the borders concerning the people who bring in drugs. so another aspect of the challenges the government is the fa ct the challenges the government is the fact that two years ago when its coalition government came to power, the economy was in a very bad state, heavily indebted, people were finding ita heavily indebted, people were finding it a real struggle, the cost of living was very high. inflation was... absolutely. the centrist of living was very high. inflation was. .. absolutely. the centrist pro- market government comes in, but expectations are high and you have to deliver. president macri's party does not have a majority in parliament, salah how easy, how difficult is going to be volume try to get his pro— market reforms through? -- so how easy? that makes it much more worth while that the reforms that president macri and his government are doing just to improve our economical situation. the first thing we had to improve was now macroeconomics. inflation was rampant. deficit was absolutely high. wasteful subsidies. cut international credit. slowly, during the first year, we paid our investors on time, we tried to put in order the deficit, we are curtailing our deficit. we are now trying to achieve 3.2% of our deficit in the budget. these are important measures taken. and the people are also going along with him. the elections that took place last october were a reformation of the actions taken by the government of president macri. some local elections. mid—term elections. of president macri. some local elections. mid-term elections. he mid—term elections in argentina marks where the people want the government to go. -- the mid-term. i must ask you this, an interesting fa ct must ask you this, an interesting fact about argentina and president macri himself as talked about, he says he wants argentina on the couch to deal with its hangups, to make it normal, he says. and he admits he has been to a psychoanalyst himself. and your country is famous for having more psychologists per capita than any other country in the world. we share this condition with new york... new york as a city. you have the accolade as a country. what is it about the argentine psyche? we discuss everything about psychology. we discuss anything of our own lives we can immediately to psychology. but we have to be normal in the sense of do whatever the other countries are doing. that is the reason we apply to become members of the 0ecd, reason we apply to become members of the oecd, because there are certain solutions, certain proposals on how to move capital that are already proved by the world. it is going and trying to invent something, if we can go where the normal people go. as we say, we are not going to invent, we use the bicycle as everybody does. that is a normal country. it is a psychological approach to life. you have to be more common sense. jorge faurie, thank you very much. thank you for having me here. thank you. the weather over the weekend was pretty mixed, wasn't it? at least we ended on a mostly sunny note, that is across the majority of the country on sunday. now it is turning colder. cold enough for some snow this week. some of us will get a covering of the next few days. you might even have some snow in your area already. that is most likely across south—eastern areas, east anglia, and into lincolnshire. wintry showers blowing off the north sea over the past few hours. there might be a covering just in time for the rush hour, particularly in kent and sussex, essex, and the greater london area. these areas we are talking about. that north—easterly wind bringing a cold and wintry showers. the further west you are the brighter it will be. it will be cold. temperatures in towns and cities, around freezing. here are the wintry showers getting into kent and ethics, east anglia —— sussex. one or two flecks of snow likely into the north—east of england as well. the rest of the country, northern ireland, the rest of england, scotland, waking to frosty weather but mostly bright if not sunny. let's see what is happening during the course of monday. the best of the weather will be across western areas, most of the sunshine, beautiful for the lowlands of scotland, the lake district, into wales, partly cloudy skies across central and eastern areas and from time to time we will continue to have those wintry showers. not too many of them. for the rest of europe, it is cold for many of the major centres across parts of western europe. look at madrid. three celsius. very chilly. some of the cold air has dug into africa, morocco, and the canary islands. chilly weather across many western parts of europe. monday night, a weather front rising to that cold air. there will be a period of snow across some of these western areas, settling across the hills for sure. ten centimetres is possible. even the towns and cities could have a covering during early tuesday. by the time that weather front reaches the south—east the snow should have gone. tuesday night into wednesday, we are in between weather systems. there will be a window of fine weather. sunshine around on wednesday. it looks as though things will cloud over once again by the time we get to thursday, with outbreaks of rain and possibly turning milder. overall this week it will stay cold with widespread frosts at night, and from time to time we will have some snow. this is newsday on the bbc. i'm rico hizon in singapore. the headlines: defrosting relations: north and south korean women play their first ice hockey match ahead of the winter olympics as a united team. a crunch meeting as pressure grows on south africa's president: reports suggest jacob zuma is refusing to quit. and i'm sharanjit leyl in london. also on the programme... safety concerns and overcrowding could force climbing operators to give up on everest via the nepalese route, and take their business towards china instead. and why do so many south korean men use beauty products? 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