Argentina–Italy relations are the bilateral and diplomatic relations between the Argentine Republic and the Italian Republic for over a century. Both nations enjoy friendly relations, the importance of which centers on the history of Italian migration to Argentina. Argentines of full or partial Italian ancestry number approximately 30 million, or 62% of the country's total population.Historias de inmigrantes italianos en Argentina (in Spanish) Both nations are members of the G20 and the United Nations.
History In 1816, Argentina declared its independence from Spain. At the same time, Italy was made up of separate independent Italian states. In May 1836, the Kingdom of Sardinia recognized and established diplomatic relations with Argentina, the first Italian state to do so.Incidente Con Italia Por No Reconocer la Independencia de Argentina (in Spanish) In 1842, Italian General (and future unifier of Italy) Giuseppe Garibaldi, fought for Uruguayan rebels during the Uruguayan Civil War against the Argentine Confederation and Uruguayan Nationalist Party.Giuseppe Garibaldi: Exile in South America
In 1850, Sardinian King (and future King of a united Italy), Victor Emmanuel II, appointed an ambassador to Argentina. In 1855, Argentina and Italy signed a Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation. In 1924, Italy upgraded its diplomatic legation in Buenos Aires to an embassy. That same year, Italian Prince Umberto of Piedmont (future King Umberto II) visited Argentina.Umberto II, re d'Italia (King of Italy) The Prince's main visit to Argentina (and other South American nations) was part of a political plan of fascism to link the Italian people living outside of Italy with their mother country.
During World War II, Argentina remained neutral throughout most of the war and at the time, Argentine President Juan Perón was an admirer of Italian Prime Minister Benito Mussolini and tried to adapt some aspects of the fascist's experience, such as corporativism, to Argentina.Argentine Politics: As Confused as the Country In 1944, due to international pressure, Argentina officially declared war on Germany and Japan as by that time, Italy had already surrendered to the Allies in September 1943. Soon afterwards, Argentina donated wheat to a warn-torn Italy.Italia y Argentina 1943-1955: política, emigración e información periodística (in Spanish) In June 1947, Eva Perón paid an official visit to Italy during her Rainbow Tour of Europe."La gira del arco iris" (in Spanish)
During the Argentine Dirty War from 1974 to 1983, eight Italian citizens went "missing" in Argentina.Trial of Argentina's 'Dirty War' soldiers to open in Italy In May 2007, Italy sentenced in absentia life sentences to five ex-navy Argentine officers for the murder of three of the eight Italians that went missing during the war.Italy gives "Dirty War" Argentines life sentencesDisappeared, but not forgotten In 1982, during the Falklands War between Argentina and the United Kingdom, Italy supported diplomatically the United Kingdom during the war, however, remained neutral in the fighting.Las claves del conflicto entre Gran Bretaña y Argentina por las Malvinas (in Spanish) The then Italian socialist leader Bettino Craxi opposed the EEC sanctions against Argentina's military junta, since they would have affected the population as well, which comprised almost 50% of 1st and 2nd generation Italians. The relations between the two countries deepened, with the first programs of cooperation in Argentina conducted by the Italian government, led by Bettino Craxi, in 1984 and 1985. In 1986 the Italian government also granted a 150 million ECU subsidy to Argentina. Bipartisan relations started to slow down after the end of Raúl Ricardo Alfonsín's presidency and the explosion of the Tangentopoli scandal.
High-level visits
High-level visits from Argentina to Italy
First Lady Eva Perón (1947) President Arturo Frondizi (1960) President Arturo Umberto Illia (1965) President-elect Héctor Cámpora (1973) Vice President Isabel Perón (1974) President Raúl Alfonsín (1987) President Carlos Menem (1990, 1997, 1998, 1999) President Fernando de la Rúa (2001) President Eduardo Duhalde (2002) President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner (2009, 2011, 2013, March and September 2014, 2015) President Mauricio Macri (February and October 2016) President Alberto Fernández (2020, 2021) President Javier Milei (February and June 2024, April and June 2025)
High-level visits from Italy to Argentina
Prince Umberto (1924) President Giovanni Gronchi (1961) President Giuseppe Saragat (1965) Prime Minister Bettino Craxi (1983) President Sandro Pertini (1985) Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti (1990) President Oscar Luigi Scalfaro (1995) President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi (2001) Prime Minister Romano Prodi (2007) Prime Minister Matteo Renzi (2016) President Sergio Mattarella (2017) Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte (2018) Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (2024)
Migration Before 1861, many Italians decided to go to Argentina for political and economic reasons. They had the possibility to improve their economic situation, gaining positions in the agricultural world, and the possibility to enjoy a high level of freedom of expression; people who later became foremost figures in the period known as Risorgimento. Between 1870 and 1960, over 2 million Italian nationals migrated to Argentina. The impact reached by this migration is enormous, both for its length and for the numbers: it is unique. Most Italians left Italy due to poverty and wars. In the period between 1876 and 1900 the Italians who migrated came from the Northern part of the peninsula. Then, in the first years of the new century, due to the worsening of the agricultural crisis, the phenomenon expanded to the rest of Italy, including also farmers from the South.
In 2011, over 30 million Argentine citizens (approx. 62% of the population) claimed Italian ancestry. Italian culture has penetrated Argentine society in food and language as Argentine Spanish is heavily influenced by Italian. Several Argentine politicians, sports figures, actors, models and literary authors, among others (including the previous Catholic Pope), are of Italian descent. Argentina hosts the second biggest Italian diaspora community in the world after Brazil.Italian Nel Mondo (in Italian) In 1973, Argentina and Italy signed an Agreement on dual citizenship.Perfil Migratorio de Argentina (in Spanish)
The Argentine community in Italy totals 11,200 members; however, many Argentine citizens have dual citizenship with Italy and therefore the Argentine community in Italy may be greater.
Several public or mixed entities represent the interests of the Italian identity in Argentina. Among them, we can mention the Italian Chambers of Commerce, the National Tourism Board, charitable foundations, the Italian Institute of Culture, the Italian Institute of Foreign Trade (ICE) and the Comitato degli Italiani all'Estero (Committees of Italians Living Abroad), which are funded by the Italian government.
Tourism and air transportation According to the document "Rapporto Congiunto Ambasciate/Consolati/ENIT 2016"Rapporto congiunto Ambasciate/consolati/ENIT 2016 (Italian) Italy is one of the favourite holiday destinations of Argentines. They love its culture, gastronomy, beautiful landscape and lifestyle. They consider Italy unique in the world. ENIT, with a strong advertising campaign helped to promote and spread this view. In 2014, ENIT of Buenos Aires promoted the foundation of the "Club Italia Argentina", whose goal is to increase tourist flows. One of its strategies was the expansion of the commercialisation of traditional and niche products. Members of the club are 5 tour operators who are specialised in promoting travels in Europe and especially in Italy. There are direct flights between Argentina and Italy through the following airlines: Aerolíneas Argentinas and ITA Airways.
Trade The first contact between the two countries took place in 1884, when one of the Italian Chambers of commerce was founded in Buenos Aires (the Italian government recognized it only in 1919).Assocamerestero (Italian) Its mission was to promote the economic integration between the two countries, the exchange of ideas, best practice as well as the connection between enterprises.Cámara de comercio italiana en la República Argentina (Spanish and Italian) The first bilateral agreement was signed in 1896 and concerned custom duties. From that year collaboration continued. Deals have regarded a lot of different fields, such as finance, tourism, cultural and scientific collaboration, economic development.
Two of the most relevant framework agreements were signed in 2002 and concerned the creation of an "Italian trust fund" for the development of Argentina and the sustainable development of the small and medium enterprises. The latest agreement was signed in 2019. It is a MoU between ITA and Pro CordobaPro Cordoba Agencia para la promociones de las exportaciones (Spanish) and its objective is to promote economic relations between Italy and the Cordoba province.Infomercatiesteri (Italian)
In 2017, trade between Argentina and Italy totaled US$2.7 billion. In the same year, Italian president Sergio Mattarella made a state visit to Argentina, which allowed to realize a business mission organized by the General Confederation of Italian Industry, MISE and MAECI.Infomercatiesteri (Italian) In 2019, Italian exports to Argentina amounted to €881,99 million (€1.153,65 million in 2018), and imports reached €988,89 million (€1.019,3 million in 2018) (source: ISTAT).
Argentina's main exports to Italy include: wheat, soya beans, frozen crustacean, pears and beef. Italy's main exports to Argentina include: steam turbines, steel rails, machinery and medicine. Italian car makers such as Ferrari, Fiat and Lamborghini have a presence in Argentina, as well as Italian fashion and food products. Joint Argentine-Italian steel company, Techint, is headquartered in both nations and operates in several countries globally.
Over time Argentina has started to enter into relations also with the European Union. Relations between Argentina and EU started in 1990, when a Framework Trade and Economic Co-operation Agreement entered into force. Economic and trade matters are discussed in an EU-Argentina Joint CommitteeEuropean Commission: Argentina which is part of the Agreement. The last meeting was on 30 November 2020, in virtual form.EU-Argentina joint Committee 2020-11-30
In 2000, member nations of Mercosur (which includes Argentina) and the European Union (which includes Italy) began negotiations on a free trade agreement.European Commission: Mercosur Negotiations between EU and Mercosur were intensified in 2016. In 2019, EU and Mercosur signed a new trade deal. This new agreement is aimed to increase bilateral trade and investment, create more stable and predictable rules for trade and investment and promote joint values (e.g. sustainable development, fight climate change). The EU is Mercosur's number one trade and investment partner and is the biggest foreign investor in Mercosur.EU-Mercosur agreement
Cultural interconnections The massive migratory phenomena from Italy to Argentina also gave rise to national and regional exchanges between members of civil society, forming a wide net of associations that are still currently visible and active, with over eight hundred entities created by Italians or their descendants to promote the culture and language, provide social assistance, and promote relations between nations.
The main institutions that participate in cultural cooperation are the Italian regional associations in Argentina such as the Istituto Italiano di Cultura de Buenos Aires and Córdoba, the Ufficio Culturale of the Italian Embassy in Argentina, the cultural offices of the Consulates, the Dante Alighieri Association.