Medvedev in Argentina for historic visit

Buenos Aires - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev arrived in Buenos Aires Wednesday for the first visit to Argentina by a Russian head of state.

Medvedev was to meet with Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner later Wednesday, to sign deals towards "a leap forward in Argentine relations," said Argentine Foreign Minister Jorge Taiana.

Fernandez de Kirchner visited Moscow in December 2008. At the time, she signed a strategic association agreement with Russia that was set to be expanded Wednesday.

Medvedev was accompanied by a large delegation including Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, the president of the Russian Atomic Energy Agency (ROSATOM), Sergey Kirienko, and a group of business leaders.

Later Wednesday, Medvedev was to take part in a Russian- Argentine business seminar in Buenos Aires.

This is the first visit to Argentina by a Russian president in 125 years of bilateral relations.

Bilateral trade showed a surplus of 705 million dollars in Argentina's favor last year.

Buenos Aires is courting Russian investment, particularly for the fields of infrastructure and transport, and it also backs Russia's request to join the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Medvedev is set to leave Argentina Thursday for Brazil, where he is to take part in the summit of the BRIC group (Brazil, Russia, India and China) Friday.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/318760,medvedev-in-argentina-for-historic-visit.html.