The Vatican was the scene of a special audience last Monday to commemorate the fortieth anniversary of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship between Argentina and Chile , a border pact signed with the historic protagonism of Pope John Paul II . However, the Government of Javier Milei did not send Foreign Minister Gerardo Werthein to the event and received strong criticism for this snub.

The Chilean government's designated official was Foreign Minister Alberto van Klaverenen , and the ambassador to the Holy See, Luis Beltramino , attended to represent Argentina .

The Royal Hall of the Apostolic Palace was chosen for the ceremony, which was to include political and diplomatic sectors of our country, and which was attended by former officials who strongly questioned the affront of the Milei administration.

"The decision of the current Argentine government to make a gesture of such gratuitous contempt towards one of the most significant events in our diplomacy in the last half century is incomprehensible," the former Argentine foreign ministers said in a letter of repudiation after the meeting.

Rafael Bielsa, Jorge Taiana, Felipe Solá and Santiago Cafiero expressed their “deepest condemnation of the decision of President Javier Milei’s government not to participate in the commemorative events for the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship with the Republic of Chile.”

During the meeting, Pope Francis called for imitating the negotiation model that prevented the war between Argentina and Chile .

It is worth remembering that at the end of the 1970s , an imminent armed confrontation was foreseen due to border conflicts over the possession of the islands south of the Beagle Channel . The agreement was signed in 1984 during the Raúl Alfonsín government .

Francis highlighted the role played by John Paul II on that occasion. “May the force of law prevail through dialogue,” said the religious leader.

In turn, weeks ago, the Supreme Pontiff had received the mayor of Río Grande, Martín Perez , and expressed his concern about the militarization of the South Atlantic , the impact of global disputes in Antarctica and the need to preserve these territories as zones of peace .

On that occasion, Francisco asked to " strongly defend " sovereignty in the South Atlantic , and stressed the need to continue " working for peace " in that area of Argentine territory .