US says Bolivia’s reforms will encourage international investment

WASHINGTON, Dec 18 (Reuters) – The U.S. welcomed economic reforms announced by Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz on Thursday, saying the changes would encourage investment that could benefit both countries.

“We applaud President Paz’s historic efforts to open Bolivia to the world by committing to meaningful reforms to attract international investment,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement.

“U.S. government officials are currently in Bolivia seeking to facilitate investments that will foster prosperity for both our nations,” he said.

Bolivian Foreign Minister Fernando Aramayo told the Wall Street Journal that his government was seeking a financial lifeline from the Trump administration and open its vast lithium reserves to foreign investors.

Aramayo said he had also discussed the possibility of a currency swap with U.S. officials during a trip to Washington last week, the newspaper reported on Wednesday.

Bolivia’s government on Thursday unveiled a far-reaching emergency decree that ended two decades of fuel subsidies and also set out a roadmap to stabilize public finances and attract foreign investment.

It did not specify any details on lithium or a currency swap agreement with the United States. Bolivian officials planned a news conference later Thursday.

A government spokesman told Reuters that lithium reserves were not a topic of discussion with the United States.

“The currency swap is part of the topics related to U.S. support for the economic stabilization process, but the agenda also includes U.S. investment in different sectors. Lithium was not discussed at all,” the spokesperson said.

(Reporting by Susan Heavey, Katharine Jackson, Lucinda Elliot and Bhargav Acharya)