Argentine President Milei Says Elon Musk, US Interested in Country's Lithium Reserves

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Argentine President Javier Milei said entrepreneur Elon Musk and the US government expressed their interest in the country's lithium reserves.

"I got a call from Elon Musk. He is very interested in lithium, as is the US government and many American companies. But they need a legal framework to guarantee that property rights are respected," Milei said in a television program on the Canal 13 broadcaster on Saturday.

Argentina, Chile and Bolivia account for 56% of global lithium reserves, with Argentina and Chile responsible for some 32% of its global production, according to the US Geological Survey,

Javier Milei was inaugurated as Argentina's president on December 10 following his victory in the November 19 runoff election against Argentine Economy Minister Sergio Massa. After taking office he introduced a series of radical reforms to solve the country's economic problems, which have caused the discontent of a large part of the population.

On Wednesday, Milei said he had signed a decree for more than 300 reforms to liberalize the country's economy. The decree is scheduled to be reviewed by the Argentine parliament on December 26.