Argentine Beef May Return To Malaysia Next Year - Envoy

By Nur Ashikin Abdul Aziz KUALA LUMPUR, June 17 (Bernama) -- Argentine beef, considered among the world's best, might make a comeback to the Malaysian market as early as next year after a five-year absence, said Argentina's Ambassador to Malaysia Manuel Balaguer Salas. "We are working with JAKIM (Department of Islamic Development Malaysia) and HDC (Halal Industry Development Corporation) to find a way to bring our beef and poultry back to Malaysia," he told Bernama in an interview. The envoy said the Argentine side was working very closely with these Malaysian halal authorities to ensure that poultry products of the 'Pampas' (large plains) fulfilled the stipulated requirements and regulations. "Malaysia requested to have a 100 per cent halal abattoirs or slaughterhouse producing halal meat, and we respect that," he said. The ambassador said Malaysia stopped its imports of Argentine beef after 2010 because of an update in regulations due to the aftosa virus or the foot-and-mouth disease. The stoppage then continued due to a change in the halal regulations. Salas, who was posted here three months ago, said the matter was among his main priorities besides relaunching Argentina-Malaysia ties, pointing out that next year would be the 50th anniversary of bilateral relations. The Buenos Aires-born envoy said Malaysia and Argentina enjoyed great relations in the 1990s before the ties remained stagnant in the last 12 years after the Argentine government practised "a more closed and protective economy". He added that reforms were undergoing since President Mauricio Macri took office in December last year, with the soon-to-be approved national infrastructure plan and renewable energy plan expected to draw a lot of investment, hopefully also from Malaysia. "I also hope Malaysia could be a hub for Argentina in Southeast Asia and for Argentina to be a link for Malaysia in Latin/South America between the MERCOSUR and the Pacific Alliance bloc," he said. Argentina is a member of the MERCOSUR, which also consists of Brazil, Paraquay and Uruguay. MERCOSUR is a sub-regional bloc which aims to promote free trade and the fluid movement of goods, people, and currency. Argentina was also recently accepted as an observer member of the Pacific Alliance trade bloc which has Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru as full members. The former Chief of Staff of the Undersecretary of Foreign Policy at the Argentina Ministry of Foreign Affairs also hoped that Malaysia Airlines could resume its flight to Buenos Aires. The national airline stopped the route in 2012. Touching on ways to strengthen ties at all levels of society, Salas said the embassy was planning to organise an 'Argentina Week' next year to coincide with the 50 years of bilateral relations. Argentina, which will celebrate its 200th Independence Day on July 9, established diplomatic relations with Malaysia in 1967. In 1983, it opened its embassy in Kuala Lumpur while Malaysia did the same in Buenos Aires in 1989. -- BERNAMA