BUENOS AIRES: A senior US diplomat on Thursday hailed alignment between the Donald Trump administration and Javier Milei's Argentina.
The remarks followed eyebrow-raising US statements earlier in the week appearing to link American aid to the far-right South American leader's political future.
"There is no other country in the world with which we are as aligned as the government of Argentina," Deputy secretary of state Christopher Landau said in Spanish during a press conference alongside Argentine official Pablo Quirno.
Landau's comments followed statements earlier this week from the US ambassador to Argentina Peter Lamelas, who appeared to explicitly tie Washington's support to the reelection of Milei in late 2027.
His words caused a significant stir in Argentina.
"We support this government - the Milei government - and the Argentine people, provided they move in the right direction: the direction of the right, not the left," Lamelas had said at an energy forum in Neuquen.
He alluded, without offering specifics, on investment projects potentially reaching US$20 billion.
Asked about the remarks on Thursday, Landau said he "admires" the current government in Argentina for having "created the conditions for a new golden age for the country" and for "rolling out the red carpet for foreign investment."
Milei is one of Trump's allies in Latin America, and the US leader firmly backed the Argentine libertarian a year ago, when his government also faced crucial legislative elections.
Trump's support, coupled with a currency swap agreement with the treasury department, contributed to Milei's electoral success in those polls.
US treasury secretary Scott Bessent said in January that Argentina has fully repaid the emergency currency loan that generated "tens of millions" in profit for American taxpayers while stabilising a key regional ally.
During his visit Landau announced the US would fund a US$15 million programme to help Argentina establish a National Cybersecurity Operations Center, according to a statement from the US embassy there.
Quirno has also said efforts are underway for a visit by US vice president JD Vance in November, and that negotiations are ongoing toward including Argentina in the US visa waiver programme.