Danish State Visit to Argentina: March 18-20, 2019


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Summary of article in Billed Bladet #13, 2019.
Written by Trine Larsen.

Part one.
(Second part which deals in details about the actual visit will be posted when I've scanned the mag.)

This is about the interview at the end of the state visit.

There has been a good deal of interest surrounding this visit here in DK. Not so much the actual visit which is fairly routine as state visits go, but because of the new constellation, team QMII and Frederik - and how they handled it.
PH had a tendency to do something that would break the ice or goof a little with the press and as such keep things a little more down to earth.
That is not something Frederik does. Instead he is very, very good at interacting with people he meet on a personal level.

We already know that team M&F is pretty formidable! But now Frederik will gain a first hand experience in everything in regards to state visits. He and Mary have previously accompanied the Regent Couple on state visit, but that was more in the back seat. Now Frederik sits in the passenger seat. He is going to be very well prepared for when he takes over as king one day.
Normally new regent couples in Scandinavia visit each other for the first state visits, partly because they are neighboring countries, but just as much because the families know each other so well, so it's a good way to gain experience and make mistakes without it having consequences, or anyone feeling snubbed.

But back to the interview.

A very cheerful QMII told about how they are two generations going and as Frederik is a fully grown man now they can and do discuss what they see and meet during the visit in the backseat of the car in a more eye to eye way.

QMII is asked whether it delight her to see so many of Danish decend waving Dannebrog and speaking Danish (even if most have never et foot in DK.)
QMII:"Yes, it really is a very special experience. Others are just there because the find it amusing that guests are coming from far away. You get a warm welcome, which really makes an impression."

And what is Frederik impression?
He finds it fantastic to see the Danish flag in such a relatively far away place in relation to Denmark. Many being decedents of Danes who immigrated to Argentina more than 100 years ago.

Despite QMII not liking to be praised to her face, Frederik is asked whether he doesn't think he has a cool mother, considering her impressive activity level on this trip?
Frederik laughs:
"Yes, absolutely! I think it's incredibly good going. Really. Especially on such a trip where you first have to travel several thousand kilometers in a plane and then be pretty cool afterwards on top of that... that's good going!
And it succeeded really, really well.
It's good to see that it's gone so well."

QMII:
"I'm glad to hear, but I also have something to live up to, you see." Looking at her son, putting her arm on his shoulder, patting him.

Frederik:
(Laughing.) "It's good we can motivate each other... in each our way."

Frederik has of course heard his mother tell about her first visit to Argentina back in 1966, including her visit to the "Danish colony."
QMII is delighted to come and see the changes there have been since then and to share all that with her son.
Frederik admits that he would probably not have gone there, if it hadn't been for his mother, but he is curious and perhaps he will come back with his family one day.

What difference has QMII noticed since her last visit 53 years ago?
How much Buenos Aires has grown! And how many skyscrapers that have shot up.

This state visit is also combined with a commerce offensive and that's a first. Normally there is the state visit, and trailing behind is a Danish business delegation. But on this visit Frederik took care of export and business associations, while QMII handled the formalities and the Danish ministers the diplomacy and politics.
Argentina is not dong that well economically and has had a long and serious economic crisis, so they are more than happy to include business and trade issues in a state visit. - And that is of course also why every European monarch worth mentioning is going to Argentina these days it seems!

But is such a combined visit something we will see more off?
QMII responds that we will. She will not pretend to know much about export and commerce, but Frederik do and that will be his area.

Frederik sums up that the Argentinians are eager to turn the boat around and get back on course again, even if there will be challenges.
 
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For your info.

DR1 will tomorrow Saturday show a 30 minutes report from the state visit to Argentina.
It will start at 21.00 and it's titled: Kongehuset i Argentina.

You should find it here: https://www.dr.dk/tv
Provided you are able to watch it outside DK. If not you may likely be able to watch it later, from the DR1 archive.

I will not be commenting or putting up a direct link tomorrow, as I'm having a date with a most alluring lady.
 
Summary of article in Billed Bladet #12 &13, 2019.
Written by our reporter in Argentina, Trine Larsen.

For security reasons QMII and Frederik don't fly on the same plane. So while QMII was already in Argentina when the official state visit was to start, Frederik was to join her shortly before the whole thing started.
But his plane from Frankfurt had to touch down in Paraguay, when the airport in Buenos Aires had to close it's runways. That meant a six hour delay, while Frederik's plane was refueled and could take off for Argentina again.

In the meantime the show went on. QMII was officially met and greeted by the President, Mauricio Macri and wife Juliana Awyada. She also had to attend the wreath laying ceremony at the monument of the national hero, Jose de San Martin, who led Argentina to independence from Spain.

However, Frederik joined his mother for the first official item on the agenda, a visit to the Parliament, here hosted by the wheelchair bound vice-president, Gabriella Michetti Illia.
We learned a little detail. When it was time to sign the guestbook at the Parliament, QMII took out her own green marker from her bag. She always use a green marker when signing guestbooks abroad.
QMII met some of the famous grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo, who have been so instrumental in remembering and help finding 30.000 people who vanished during the dictatorship from 1969-1983. And in extension of that she and the delegation each threw a flower in the water in remembrance of those who were killed.
But QMII were also present at an exhibition of Danish products, at the paint company Hempel (*) she grabbed a brush and very appropriately painted the Argentinian sun.

It was actually the plan that the Argentinian President was not to attend the Danish return dinner, instead the vice-president was to represent him. However, since he had not welcomed Frederik, the President decided to drop by for a drink before the dinner was to start.
The return dinner entertained the around 300 guests with various Danish cultural specialties, like classical ballet and singing and music, as well as samples of the Nordic cuisine.
Including Jacob Gade's Tango Jalousie, which delighted the tango loving Argentinians, some of whom did not know the composer of this particular piece was Danish.

The day after the return dinner it was time for QMII to go 500 km south to Tandil. In this area lives a lot of descendants of Danes who immigrated to Argentina more than a 100 years ago.
On the flight to Tanil, the plane with QMII was escorted by two tactical fighters.
The founder of the Danish colony there was Hans Christian Fugl, who changed his name to Juan Fugl. He arrived in 1844 and there is a statue of him, which QMII visited.
It's 53 years since QMII last visited the area, so a whole generation has grown up to adulthood since then and many turned out to see and meet QMII. And to show her how they still remember the "old country." With folk dance wearing traditional (early 1700's) costumes. DK does not have a national costume like Sweden, instead we have a multitude of local costumes almost down to the individual parish.
QMII was also treated to genuine Argentinian BBQ. Argentina is very much a beef country. With many and huge cattle ranches on the pampas.
She visited the retirement home, Hogar Danes, which is the home of fourteen residents. Two of whom she met 53 years ago.

In the meantime Frederik was a couple of hundred kilometers away doing his best to promote Danish export, in fact that was very much the purpose of this visit - very much welcomed by the Argentinians BTW, who are eager to get back on their feet again economically. BB doesn't cover that very much though.

After the visit QMII had a brief chat with the press.Here she told how she copes withe jetlag. It's about remaining active, even though you'd rather go to sleep. And that she did from touching down in Argentina. And that's why she straightaway went sightseeing to the cemetery Recoleta and a nearby market - and allowing the press to follow her, even if this was not an official part of the visit.

After the state visit had ended, Frederik flew home, while QMII went as far to the north west in Argentina as you can go, to the Jujuy province where she visited an archeological museum.

You can see the scans here:

BB #13: https://app.box.com/s/oakcvfg8pv9js5li2dzzi95om2hjzc0o

BB #12: https://app.box.com/s/wqzvyndw68auydfttpu0xr0rqdaixscx

BB #11: https://app.box.com/s/qryqymwto3pnvilgzjergutubhhvl1zn

BB #10: https://app.box.com/s/1kzmrbk39k4rck6g99jv0jr48cyt1c2l

(*) It's very durable paint! If you have say an old tub, you can paint it with that product and I swear you can't scratch the surface with a knife afterwards. But do wear a mask or you don't what planet you are on afterwards - except that the trees appears to be pink and lilac... - Yes, speaking form personal experience. ?
 
So, the Argentinians had two statevisits in a row with the Spanish one being considered more important by the Danish one?
 
Considering the considerably closer ties between South America and Spain, it's pretty certain the Spanish state visit was considered much more important.

However, it's a poor businessman who shuts the door on a potentially new business opportunity, so I'd say the Danish state visit was by no means unimportant.
 
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