The State Department announced Thursday that the United States and Argentina will establish an intergovernmental, bilateral Cyber Policy Working Group.
“It is our shared belief that the establishment of this Working Group will strengthen and help protect the economic and security interests of our respective countries, companies, Internet users, and the global cyber community,” the State Department said in a statement.
The group’s first meeting will focus on the importance of developing national cyber policy frameworks, the role of Computer Emergency Response Teams in protecting networks and managing cyber incidents, and information sharing about the protection of critical infrastructure. The countries will also strengthen the cooperative relationship between their military cyber experts, and ensure independent investigation and prosecution of cyber crime through cooperative law enforcement efforts such as the Budapest Convention. This group will also provide Foreign Ministry counterparts the opportunity to exchange views on cyber-related events.
Christopher Painter, coordinator for cyber Issues at the Department of State, will lead the U.S. government interagency delegation that will also include representatives from the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, the National Security Council, and the Department of Defense.
Jose Hirschson, under secretary for technology and cybersecurity at the Argentine Ministry of Modernization, will lead this initiative for the Government of Argentina, which will also include representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Security, Ministry of Defense, and Ministry of Justice and Human Rights.
This announcement occurred as President Donald Trump hosted Argentine President Mauricio Macri at the White House on Thursday.
“[Macri] is a great, wonderful person and he will be a great president for Argentina,” Trump said. “We’re just going to be great friends–better than ever before.”
