DIPLOMATIC VISITS: A COMPARISON OF EXTERNAL INFLUENCE BETWEEN BRAZIL AND ARGENTINA

A Quantitative Comparison of Visits by the Eleven Largest OECD Economies and the Original BRICS Members to Both Countries from 2003 to 2024

Abstract

The primary objective of this study is to empirically analyze the international relevance of the two largest economies in South America: Brazil and Argentina. To assess the international significance of both countries, we collected data on official visits from the eleven largest economies of the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) and the BRICS. The higher the frequency of diplomatic visits, the more relevant the country is on the international agenda. The period chosen for this analysis spans the last 20 years, beginning in 2003, the year President Lula and Néstor Kirchner took office for their first terms. Through descriptive statistics, we demonstrate Brazil's greater presence on the agenda of the selected countries’ visits compared to Argentina, with the exception of the United States and Italy, which visited Buenos Aires more frequently. This article contributes by utilizing quantitative data to measure key aspects of a country's international engagement, such as its relative global relevance.