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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Madam President, colleagues, friends,

I would like to begin by thanking you for the invitation and for this opportunity to meet and discuss our current affairs and prospects for the future.

Argentina is undoubtedly one of Russia’s priority partners in Latin America, with whom we cooperate in all areas. This includes the political level as well: Madam President and I are in constant contact, both personally and through our staff. We are developing inter-parliamentary ties and our intergovernmental commission is working actively.

Our trade turnover has been growing: despite all the difficulties in global trade, last year it went up by more than 16 percent. This is good, but, of course, we have many more opportunities for expanding and diversifying our economic ties.

”Argentina is undoubtedly one of Russia’s priority partners in Latin America, with whom we cooperate in all areas. This includes the political level. We are developing inter-parliamentary ties and our intergovernmental commission is working actively.“

We coordinate our positions on the international arena, and our views regarding international developments are close or often coincide, as diplomats say.

Next year we will be marking 130 years of diplomatic relations between Russia and Argentina, which is a great event. I have not yet told Madam President, but I expect to do so now, in the expanded meeting: I believe it would be interesting to hold a Year of Argentinian Culture in Russia and a Year of Russian Culture in Argentina. This would certainly bring our peoples closer together and demonstrate the depth of our relations, as well as the overall understanding of trends not only in global culture, but also life in the world at large.

I would like to stress that since 2009 we have been implementing a plan to bring our relations to the level of a strategic partnership.

We will undoubtedly be successful in our work in all the directions I have mentioned. I would like to thank Madam President once again for the invitation and the opportunity to hold a discussion in such an expanded group on all the issues of mutual interest.

Thank you.

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