Argentina’s Ambassador Welcomes Georgetown Students and Alumni

Fernando Oris de Roa, ambassador of Argentina to the United States, welcomed Georgetown students and alumni to the Argentinian embassy in Washington D.C., on Sept. 19.

The Embassy Series event was an opportunity to connect students to the Washington, D.C., and international communities. It was sponsored by Georgetown McDonough’s Global Business Initiative and the Office of Alumni Relations.

The ambassador highlighted the key strategic issues in the relationship between Argentina and the United States. “We are focusing on education, health, science, and technology — areas with a long-term impact,” he said.

Oris de Roa also mentioned relevant industries to the U.S.-Argentina bilateral relationship, focusing on aluminum and steel: “Recently, we lobbied strongly in D.C. to protect our aluminum and steel sectors due to their regional importance and job market significance,” he said.

“I was struck by and appreciative of the ambassador’s candid responses that simultaneously hewed to the appropriate boundaries necessary for diplomatic tact,” said Judd O’Brien (MBA’17).

O’Brien, who also has visited Argentina, said that “the alfajores during the reception were a great touch and illustrative of the transformative impact that food can contribute to cultural exchange.”

“The Ambassador was very kind to speak with us after the talk,” said Sudhanshu Sisodiya (B’20), who also attended the event.

“I especially found this event to be special because earlier this year, I visited Argentina through the Global Business Experience program.”

Finally, Ambassador Oris de Roa mentioned that Argentina ranks sixth in the region in terms of educational exchanges with the United States and stressed his pledge to improve this positioning.