For the past two years, the words pandemic, SARS-CoV-2, variants, face masks, isolation, social distance, have become part of our daily lives. And just when we were beginning to glimpse the end of the tunnel, just when we thought we were getting closer to the possibility of returning to the much-cherished normality... another war breaks out, once again putting the whole of humanity on edge. My wish, like everyone else's, is that it will soon be over.

It is undeniable that the pandemic has changed people's habits. Virtuality is here to stay, imposing a new reality that calls on us to connect with each other at work and socially in a different way. We are experiencing, at least in the big cities of Argentina, changes in the use of transport in general, which is particularly noticeable in relation to timetables, the days on which people move, the increased use of individual vehicles for medium distances, the use of sustainable transport for urban mobility, among others.

Clearly there is a before and after the pandemic. Medical science was quick to respond to the unknown, approving vaccines that we use in every country in the world and finding drugs to mitigate the consequences of the virus. Our challenge, as road and transport engineers, is to be able to respond adequately to the changes demanded by the new context in which we live. PIARC is an excellent instrument for its globality, to help find answers for all countries regardless of their economic and social situation, empowering professionals through knowledge sharing. PIARC must equalise opportunities.

I would like to take this opportunity to invite you to the XVIII Argentinean Road and Traffic Congress that will take place in Buenos Aires, 26-28 September. It is a very special year for Argentinean Roads as the National Roads Directorate is 90 years old and the Argentinean Roads Association is 70 years old. We look forward to seeing you so that you can visit our country, exchange ideas and be part of our history.