David Cairns, the newly appointed Ambassador of Britain in Buenos Aires, has officially presented his credentials to Foreign Minister Gerardo Werthein, thereby commencing his diplomatic mission in Argentina. Cairns, accompanied by his wife Sharon, made his arrival in the capital last Saturday. He arrives in the 200th year of bicentennial relations between Argentina and the United Kingdom. In a meeting held at the San Martín Palace, the British envoy engaged with Werthein to review the state of bilateral relations and to analyze potential new avenues for collaboration, as stated by the UK Embassy.
Ambassador Cairns, for his part, also “expressed gratitude” regarding the recent visit to the UK by Argentina’s Justice Minister Mariano Cúneo Libarona to attend a symposium on economic crimes. The pair further deliberated on the forthcoming visit from Sir Chris Bryant, who serves as the minister of state at the UK Department for Business and Trade. Both officials underscored the significance of the relationship, which traces its origins to the “Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation Between Argentina and the United Kingdom,” signed in 1825. “I feel deeply honoured to represent my country in Argentina, particularly in the year marking the bicentenary of our diplomatic relations.
“Over these 200 years we have fostered cooperation in areas as diverse as trade, politics, science and culture and that has already become part of our identities as Britons and Argentines,” Cairns told Werthein. “I anticipate enhancing those connections and backing what is evidently a priority for our Prime Minister and your President: growth and prosperity,” he stated. Cairns, having held the position of UK ambassador to Sweden from 2015 to 2019, possesses a wealth of diplomatic and corporate experience that he brings to his current role. He commenced his tenure with the British Foreign Office in 1993, initially fulfilling the role of commercial secretary in Japan, before advancing to the position of head of the World Trade Organisation Section in Geneva. He has also occupied various positions in London, notably serving as the FCDO director for estates and security. Between 2015 and 2019, Cairns held the position of the UK’s envoy in Sweden while also directing the Nordic Baltic Network.
Upon concluding his tenure in the diplomatic service, he transitioned to Equinor, the state-owned energy behemoth of Norway, assuming the role of vice-president for political and public affairs. He additionally held the position of independent board director at the G.A. Group design studio for a duration of four years. Cairns takes over from former British ambassador Kirsty Hayes, assuming the role of the United Kingdom’s foremost diplomatic envoy to Argentina.