Round-table with Parliamentary Friendship Groups of Argentina and the United Kingdom

Since taking office in December 2015, President Mauricio Macri has signalled his intent to reinsert Argentina into the international community. As part of this initiative, a concerted effort has been made to improve bilateral relations between the UK and Argentina.

In light of these developments, Canning House is delighted to welcome three distinguished Senators from Argentina Federico Pinedo, and Carmen Lucila Crexell.

As a valued corporate member, we would like to extend this opportunity for you to discuss possibilities for investing in the country, and how they see UK-Argentine relations evolving over the coming years.

This event is being organised in collaboration with the All Party Parliamentary Group on Argentina, as well as the Embassy of Argentina.

RSVP for corporate members is essential by 3rd June: [email protected]

FEDERICO PINEDO

National Senator

Term 10 / 12 / 2015 - 09 / 12 / 2019

Political Party: Propuesta Republicana (PRO)

Senator Pinedo was born in Buenos Aires on 29 December 1955. He graduated with a law degree from the Universidad de Buenos Aires in 1978. He specialises in public, telecommunications and competition law.

He is a National Senator for the City of Buenos Aires and has been Provisional President of this Chamber – placing him third in line to replace the President – since 3 December 2015. He is a member of President Mauricio Macri’s Propuesta Republicana party (PRO) . In the Senate he is a chairperson of the committees for Constitutional Affairs; the National Economy and Investment; Communication, Media and Freedom of Expression; and Agreements.

He began his political career as Councillor of the City of Buenos Aires from 1987-1991 for the Partido Demócrata of the City of Buenos Aires. He was Inspector General of the City of Buenos Aires in 1991, responsible for the authorisation and inspection of industries and services; and from 1992-1993 was Deputy Inspector of the National Telecommunications Commission, the regulatory body for Argentine telecommunications. He oversaw the tender to provide mobile phone service throughout the country and set out the rules for networks.

Between 1998 and 2001 he put together the draft bill for telecommunications and networks in the Dominican Republic.

He became National Congressman in 2003 for the “Compromiso para el Cambio” party, of the now President Macri. In 2007 he was re-elected, this time for the newly-formed PRO alliance, and once more in 2011, again for the City of Buenos Aires.

He was senior expert for the International Telecommunications Union (1994-2000) and wrote the draft telecommunications bill.

He is currently a postgraduate professor in Public Services at the UBA, Universidad Austral, ESEADE and the Universidad del Salvador.

CARMEN LUCILA CREXELL

National Senator

Term: 10/12/2013 - 09/12/2019

Political Party: Movimiento Popular Neuquino

Senator Crexell was born on 10 August 1972. She graduated with a degree in Public Relations, before taking postgraduate courses in subjects like constitutional and environmental law.

She is the elected National Senator for the Province of Neuquén. She is vice-president of the General Legislation Committee; chairperson for the Constitutional Affairs Committee; Foreign Affairs and Worship Committee; National Defence Committee; Environment and Sustainable Development Committee; Agreements Committee; Tourism Committee; Science and Technology Committee, and Women’s Seats Committee, among others.

She was previously a member of the Unit for Institutional Management and Relations, Casa del Neuquén, Neuquén Province, 2011-2013. She was President of the Institutional Organisation Committee and Politician of the Honourable Municipal Constituent Convention of San Martín de los Andes, Neuquén Province. She was part of the team of advisors for the Movimiento Popular Neuquino bloc, in the Senate, and prior to that she worked in the Tourism Secretariat for San Martín de los Andes, Neuquén Province.

She also participated in the Meeting of the National Federal Council with the Group of Latin American and Caribbean Countries (GRULAC), at the World Future Energy Summit during the Abu Dabhi Sustainability Week 2016, in the UAE. She attended the Parliamentary Meeting during the United Nations Climate Change Conference, co-organised by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the French Parliament (Paris, France 2015). She was invited to participate in the UN ECOSOC Youth Forum “the commitment of the youth in the transition of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”, New York, United States, 2015.

ESPÍNOLA, CARLOS MAURICIO

National Senator

Term: 10 / 12 / 2015 - 09 / 12 / 2021

Political bloc: PJ Frente para La Victoria

Party which he joined with: Alianza Frente para la Victoria

Senator Espínola was born on 5 October 1971 in the city of Corrientes, in the province of the same name. He is a former yachtsman and Argentine political leader.

On 10 December 2009 he was elected mayor of the City of Corrientes as the Justicialista Party candidate. He held this position until 9 December 2013.

On 15 September of the same year he announced his candidacy for the government of the Province of Corrientes, for the same party, and lost to Ricardo Colombi, the current governor. On 6 February 2014 he was appointed by the then President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner as the new Secretary of Sports in replacement for Claudio Morresi. He held this position until 10 December 2015. On that date he became

National Senator for the province of Corrientes. He is president of the Infrastructure, Housing and Transport Committee, and is chair of the Committees for Budget and Finance, National Defence, Industry and Trade, Science and Technology, and Sport.

He is also internationally renowned for his participation in the Olympic Games. He has won four Olympic medals, two silver and two bronze, in the Olympic Games in Atlanta (1996), Sydney (2000), Athens (2004) and Beijing (2008). On two occasions (2000 and 2004), he was the Olympic flag bearer for Argentina. In 1996, he was awarded the Olimpia Gold Prize for Sportsman of the Year. In 2000 and 2010 he was awarded the Platinum Konex Prize by the Konex Foundation for the yachtsman of the decade in Argentina.