As part of the Raw Materials Week held in Belgium, the representatives of Catamarca, Marcelo Murua, Minister of Mining, and Susana Peralta, president of CAMYEN, held several meetings with European Union authorities, companies, and financial entities to present investment opportunities.
The Catamarca officials were part of the Argentine delegation, which included representatives from the Copper Table, the governors of Jujuy, Carlos Sadir, and San Juan, Marcelo Orrego, along with the National Secretary of Mining, Luis Lucero, and other national officials. They were present in the business forum “Strategic Alliance in Sustainable Raw Materials Value Chains between the European Union and Argentina.”
Minister Marcelo Murua highlighted that Catamarca has great geological potential, a tradition in mining, legal security, and strong political stability to develop mining activities in the province, especially copper and lithium. During his presentation at the forum, he emphasized the significance of the agreement between the European Union and Mercosur, which opens up opportunities amid the energy transition. "Europe has set very strict deadlines, and we have a strategic role as basic suppliers of these critical minerals, while also highlighting that Argentina remains part of the South American bloc," he said.
Among the activities carried out with their counterparts from the Copper Table, the Catamarca delegation met with representatives from financing funds and investment banks, who described how they can support the development of mining projects and value chains in Argentina, either directly or indirectly. They discussed details regarding potential financing tools for private and public projects, with an emphasis on sustainability, environmental issues, and training. The meeting was attended by representatives from the IDB, IDB Invest, KfW (German Development Bank), MfA NL (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands), EDFI (European Development Finance Institutions), AFD (French Development Agency), GIZ (German Society for International Cooperation), Invest International (Dutch organization that finances international projects with a positive impact), and the EIB (European Investment Bank).
The official Argentine delegation also met with authorities from the ports of Rotterdam and representatives from the European Investment Bank, the banking arm of the European Union. The authorities detailed financing plans for mining projects that meet the interests of European Union countries, particularly those involving critical minerals such as copper and lithium.
