Spain appointed a new ambassador to Argentina on Tuesday, turning the page on a diplomatic crisis sparked by a war of words between their leaders that left the post vacant for five months.
Madrid withdrew its envoy to Buenos Aires in May after Argentina's President Javier Milei exchanged insults and bitter recrimination with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's left-wing government.
Milei suggested that Sánchez's wife Begoña Gómez was "corrupt" during a forum hosted by the far-right Vox party in Madrid, prompting Spain to recall its ambassador in protest at his "insults" and "interference in internal affairs."
Milei blasted the Spanish government representatives for triggering the diplomatic spat by describing him as "xenophobic, racist, ultra-right... a science denier, a misogynist," with one minister even suggesting he behaved like he was on drugs.
Spain's Foreign Ministry said the cabinet approved the appointment of Joaquín María de Arístegui Laborde on Tuesday.
De Arístegui Laborde will replace María Jesús Alonso Jiménez, who was permanently removed from the post in May.
Both countries' foreign ministries released a joint statement saying: "The relationship between our governments should match the intensity of the ties that unite our peoples."
"Therefore, we pledge to strengthen our relationship so that it reaches the highest level of confidence and mutual respect in political and institutional terms that our peoples deserve."
Both sides are committed to "seek points of connection in the pursuit of our common goal, which is the welfare of our citizens."
Spain is taking this step "with a view to achieving the European Union-Mercosur agreement," of which Argentina is a member, read the statement
Both sides also highlighted the "and the staging of the Ibero-American Summit in Spain in 2026."
Argentina's Foreign Minister Diana Mondino, welcomed Spain's decision with a brief message in X in which she wrote "welcome back ambassador," accompanied by the symbols of the Argentine and Spanish flags and a handshake.
Spain is the second-largest investor in Argentina, after the United States, according to the Spanish Foreign Trade Institute (ICEX).
More than 370,000 Argentines live in Spain, according to the latest official figures.
– TIMES/AFP
