Thursday, April 23, 2015

CFK meets Putin, praises Russia's support in vulture funds dispute

President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner and Russia''''s Vladimir Putin shake hands at the Kremlin in Moscow.

President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner held a meeting with her Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin today, ending a two-day visit to Moscow that aimed at strengthening bilateral ties in key areas such as energy.

Putin was the first to brief the media on the scope of the talks held with Ms. Kirchner, praising the “fruitful and active” dialogue with Argentina after 130 years of diplomatic relations between both nations.

In tune with Putin’s statements, Ms. Kirchner highlighted the “long tradition” in bilateral ties between Buenos Aires and Moscow aiming at the “building of electrical generation.” The project involving the Chihuidos I plant “comes to confirm” such ties.

According to CFK, both countries have given a “step forward, a deeper step” in their bilateral relation signing agreements for the building of the “sixth nuclear plant” in Argentina.

Malvinas Islands and Vulture Funds disputes

President Cristina Kirchner praised as well Russia’s support to Argentina in two disputes the country faces in the world, the sovereignty row with the United Kingdom over the sovereignty of the Malvinas Islands and the legal battle against vulture funds suing the South American nation over its defaulted bonds.

“Restructuring of sovereign debts is one of the biggest problems that many countries face,” Ms. Kirchner said calling to “reaffirm the unconditional respect to national sovereignties.”

“We thank Russia for the support it has historically provided in the Malvinas question, in having the resolutions of the United Nations observed so the United Kingdom resolves to sit in the table to dialogue,” the head of state said in the Kremlin today.

Responding to Russia’s support in the Malvinas Islands dispute, Ms. Kirchner explained her administrations backed the UN 2202 resolution of February this year on the Ukraine question. Both leaders, the president said, agreed on the need to declare “the firmest condemnation of any kind of intervention by third countries in countries' domestic affairs.”

Joined by Economy Minister Axel Kicillof, Federal Planning Minister Julio De Vido and Foreign Minister Héctor Timerman, the president expressed her gratitude for “the warm welcome” she received from the government and the people of Russia, “in a special year” marking 130 years since the beginning of diplomatic relations between both countries.

Earlier today, the Russian leader had said "countries have changed, the world has been transformed, but what has not changed is the will of our people to keep moving forward in the (bilateral) relation.”

Putin also said Buenos Aires-Moscow “contacts” have become “more dynamic” and pointed out he was ready to discuss with President Kirchner “not only the world problems, but also those bilateral issues that must be settled.”