Buenos Aires, March 23 (NA) – While receiving attacks from President Javier Milei, Techint CEO Paolo Rocca participated this Monday in a panel at the world's largest energy conference, in Houston, where he explained the holding's strategy and referred to global 'volatility' and long-term investment opportunities in Argentina. Rocca explained that 'the approach we adopt involves, first of all, trying to identify those areas where there is a clear long-term perspective that justifies the investment.' Rocca stated that, in the face of global fragmentation and conflicts, there are opportunities in oil and energy production in Argentina, and that is why they are focusing investments in that country, according to Noticias Argentinas Agency. He made these statements during his presentation at CERAWeek, in the panel 'Global Energy Strategy: Convergence and Competition', alongside Matt Renner (President of Google Cloud) and Luis Cabra (Executive Vice President of Repsol), moderated by Atul Arya (Senior Vice President of S&P Global Energy). Rocca pointed out that, in the services sector, special attention must be paid to the fragmentation of the global scenario. He also highlighted that the fragmentation of markets has made the price of gas completely different in Europe, the United States, and Argentina. For the executive, the key is to build robust supply chains and alternative production capacities capable of withstanding disruptions, even on strategic routes such as Panama, the Moluccas, Hormuz, or Suez. 'Price changes and the need for a robust supply chain require doubling capacities and betting on multiple scenarios,' he affirmed. As Rocca emphasized, 'it is not easy to establish a solid strategy in this scenario.' Rocca explained that the group's response was to identify sectors and geographies with solid foundations for long-term investment. 'In Argentina, the global context and conflicts create opportunities in oil and LNG production, and we are investing there,' he specified. He gave as an example that the price of gas in Europe is very different from that of the United States or Argentina, and maintained that it is necessary to expand operational capacity to guarantee a solid supply chain and offer production alternatives for the energy sector. He also explained that this may sometimes imply doubling investments in different geographical scenarios to ensure service provision. According to Rocca, this duplication is crucial in the face of disruptions in trade routes or other disruptive events, because price volatility in different markets is a constant and requires a robust supply chain system. 'Ultimately, I consider that this strategy is an imperative need, of vital importance, and constitutes a fundamental aspect that our company is very aware of,' added Rocca. In a full room, he was listened to by, among others, the governor of Río Negro, Alberto Weretilneck, and several Argentine executives, such as those from Tecpetrol and Pérez Companc. The CEO of Techint stressed that the commercial relationship between Canada, Mexico, and the United States, through the USMCA agreement, currently faces obstacles due to the tariffs of sections 202 and 108, which generates uncertainty and adds pressure to business strategies. At the same time, the conflict in the Middle East, which escalated since June, has added new factors of instability.
