First modification:
The visit of the South American president is part of an international tour that will also take him to China and Barbados. Fernández is trying to strengthen relations with other powers at a time when his government is seeking to break its dependence on the International Monetary Fund and diversify its trade relations.
The president of Russia, Vladimir Putin, received in the Kremlin the Argentine head of state, Alberto Fernández, who expressed his interest in strengthening relations with Moscow. The Argentine president assured at the meeting that his country “must be the gateway” for Russia in Latin America.
Buenos Aires takes the statement seriously, collaborating to approve the use of the Covid-19 Sputnik V vaccine in several Latin American nations. For his part, Putin thanked his South American counterpart for Argentina being the first Western territory to approve the Russian drug.
Among the topics discussed at the meeting, Fernández highlighted his interest in breaking the economic and commercial dependence on the International Monetary Fund and the United States. According to the head of the Casa Rosada, Argentina “has to open up to other sides, and that is where it seems to me that Russia has an important place,” he indicated.
It is an honor to have met with Vladimir Putin, President of Russia.
We had the opportunity to exchange ideas on how we can further complement the bond between our nations. pic.twitter.com/ntmDGn6jtD
– Alberto Fernández (@alferdez) February 3, 2022
Apparently, the meeting will continue in Beijing, where both leaders will meet at the opening of the Winter Olympics. In a press conference that took place after the meeting, Putin stressed that the positions of both countries “converge or are close on many issues.”
Visit amid diplomatic and political tensions
Putin and Fernández face crises in their nations. Russia maintains a diplomatic confrontation with NATO member countries over Ukraine’s intentions to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
The Kremlin demands to stop the expansion of the military bloc to the east, while the military organization does not give in when it comes to abandoning its “open door” policy to the incorporation of other countries geographically close to Russia. Moscow staunchly opposes Kiev’s accession, while maintaining some 100,000 troops on its shared border with Ukraine.
For his part, Alberto Fernández battles against those who are not in favor of the most recent agreement reached with the IMF. Máximo Kirchner, the son of the country’s vice president and former president Cristina Fernández, resigned on Monday from the presidency of the ruling block of deputies Frente de Todos, in protest at the strategy used by the government in debt negotiations with the international organization .
The agreement established the terms of the payment of the debt of 45,000 million dollars that Argentina contracted during the Macri mandate. The details of the pact have not been disclosed, but they will be at the center of the debate in Congress when its session begins in March. It is precisely the Legislature that must approve the terms of the debt renegotiation. For this reason, the reticence within the ruling party may pose obstacles to carrying out the pact promoted by Fernández.
Next destinations on the Alberto Fernández tour
At the end of his time in Russia, Alberto Fernández will go to China, a nation with which Argentina has signed agreements in multiple sectors, such as energy, trade or finance, among others. In addition to the formal visits, Fernández will meet twice with the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, and will receive an Honoris Causa degree from Tsinhua University.
The tour will culminate in Barbados, where key issues for the Caribbean country will be addressed, such as climate change and rising sea levels, a determining issue in its geographical area. Fernández attends as president pro tempore of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States.
The Argentine claim of sovereignty over the Malvinas, South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands, appropriated by the United Kingdom, also has a prominent place on the tour’s agenda.
with EFE