Storyline: Following two years of recession, Argentina's economy is projected to grow by approximately 5 percent this year as financial markets in the country are responding positively to President Javier Milei's reforms. There are high expectations that the Argentine economy will rebound this year, after contracting by nearly 3 percent in 2024. The country's stock exchange is still celebrating last year's performance. Milei, a right-wing libertarian who took office in 2023, promised what he called economic "shock therapy" to combat Argentina's rampant inflation, including measures such as devaluing the currency peso, reducing government personnel and cutting fiscal expenditure. Markets have welcomed the economic policies of the president. Milei government's symbolic "chainsaw" plan pointed to a series of achievements in 2024, including the first fiscal surplus in 14 years and significant declines in monthly inflation rate from 25.5 percent in December 2023. Experts say Milei still faces a series of challenges for his economic reforms to be considered a success, given the slowed but still high inflation, which ended the year at 117 percent, the increase in poverty, slumped manufacturing and industrial sectors as well as other unresolved social issues. Argentina has been negotiating with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a new 11-billion-U.S.-dollar loan, as part of the government's ongoing efforts to stabilize its economy and address financial challenges. Shotlist: FILE: Buenos Aires, Argentina - Dec 9, 2023: 1. Various of Casa Rosada Presidential Palace; FILE: Buenos Aires, Argentina - Dec 2023: 2. Various of building, sign of Argentina's Ministry of Economy; Buenos Aires, Argentina - Recent: 3. Sign of BYMA Stock Exchange; 4. Interview in progress; 5. Reporter; 6. SOUNDBITE (English) Gonzalo Pascual Merlo, CEO, BYMA Stock Exchange (starting with shots 2-5/partially overlaid with shots 7-8): "At least from the market's point of view, you have something that is very objective. That is the prices. Hard dollar sovereign bonds went from 20 cents to 70 cents in a year. So, that was crazy, a more than 120 percent increase in our index prices. So, performance has been really good." [SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] 7. Merlo's hands; 8. Reporter; [SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] FILE: Buenos Aires, Argentina - Dec 11, 2023: 9. Various of Casa Rosada exterior, pedestrians; FILE: Buenos Aires, Argentina - Jan 10, 2023: 10. Obelisk of Buenos Aires, traffic; 11. National flag of Argentina; Buenos Aires, Argentina - Recent: 12. SOUNDBITE (English) Gonzalo Pascual Merlo, CEO, BYMA Stock Exchange (partially overlaid with shots 13-14): "They are doing the proper homework, you know, good fiscal policy, monetary order. Then things start getting together and a very happy and positive cycle starts." [SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] 13. Reporter; 14. Interview in progress; [SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE]; FILE: Buenos Aires, Argentina - Oct 22, 2023: 15. Various of traffic; FILE: Buenos Aires, Argentina - March 12, 2024: 16. Various of locals at grocery; Buenos Aires, Argentina - Recent: 17. SOUNDBITE (English) Martin Rapetti, executive director, Equilibra Consultancy (partially overlaid with shots 18-21): "The federal government did a fiscal cut of five points of GDP, this is a huge amount. The poverty rate increased by eight points in the first semester of last year, just because of the economic adjustment. But then it have also very important and positive effect on inflation, which was reduced significantly." [SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] FILE: Buenos Aires, Argentina - March 12, 2024; 18. Aerial shot of cityscape; 19. Aerial shot of traffic;; Buenos Aires, Argentina - Recent: 20. Interview in progress; 21. Reporter; [SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] FILE: Buenos Aires, Argentina - April 2023: 22. Various of pedestrians; 23. Traffic; Buenos Aires, Argentina - Recent: 24. SOUNDBITE (English) Martin Rapetti, executive director, Equilibra Consultancy (partially overlaid with shot 25): "The main risk I think, I see is that the exchange rate, the peso is probably overvalued. When the peso is overvalued in Argentina, at some point, there might be a correction of that, which means a depreciation of the peso, which could be soft or abrupt. In Argentina, typically is the second." [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] 25. Reporter; [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] FILE: Buenos Aires, Argentina - March 12, 2024: 26. National flag, tourists in front of Casa Rosada Presidential Palace. [Restrictions : No access Chinese mainland]