MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina and Russia ratify close links; Moscow reaffirms Malvinas claim support

The Timerman/Lavrov meeting took place at the Spiridonovka Palace in Moscow

Argentina was formally invited to take part in a BRICS summit to be held in Brazil next month. The Kremlin also ratified support to Buenos Aires in its long-standing dispute with the UK over the sovereignty of the Malvinas Islands.

 The announcements were made during Wednesday's meeting in Moscow of visiting Argentine minister Hector Timerman and his Russian counterpart Sergi Lavrov, who ratified the 'strategic association' between the two countries.

According to official reports, Timerman “thanked very specially the ratification of Russia’s support” to Argentina which has been calling London to abide by the UN resolutions that urge both parties to sit at the negotiating table and discuss the sovereignty of the Falklands/Malvinas Islands.

Levrov’s office confirmed the invitation to Argentina to attend a summit of the so called BRICS countries – Brazil, India, China, Russia and South Africa-, in social media. Furthermore, minister Levrov said Russian leader Vladimir Putin was looking forward to meet with President Cristina Fernández and other Latin American heads of state during Putin’s upcoming visit to the region.

However the question of expanding the BRICS group was not been raised so far, said Lavrov.

“As far as the possible expansion of BRICS is concerned, this issue requires consensus in this organization. So far, no ideas have been voiced about planning further expansion,” Lavrov said after talks with Timerman.

Indian Ambassador to Argentina Amarenda Khatua had earlier said Buenos Aires was interested in joining the BRICS, and three of the group’s five members – India, Brazil and South Africa – supported the idea. The Russian Foreign Ministry said the issue would require careful consideration.

“Argentina is a member of many international organizations … Obviously, we are interested in developing relations with BRICS in international politics. We will surely continue working with BRICS, G20 and other venues … but it is up to BRICS to decide on the agenda, not Argentina,“ Timerman said.

The Wednesday meeting took place at the Spiridonovka Palace in Russia's Foreign Ministry where Argentina’s Timerman assured the “strategic association” between both countries “is based in a common vision about the essence of international relations, values and objectives of common well-being that both nations are building.”

The officials were reported to have discussed both the global and regional situation, “assuming that international conflicts have a sustainable solution” if political leaders work toward “the strengthening of a solid multilateral system based in cooperation and mutual collaboration and the non-intervention in states' domestic affairs through economic, political or military means.”

Buenos Aires informed as well that Timerman “stressed Argentina’s position against double-standard” messages, alluding to the condemnation of Western powers of the referendum recently held in Crimea while same sectors supported the 2013 Falklands8/Malvinas referendum, when Islanders reaffirmed their decision to remain British.

At the Moscow gathering, Héctor Timerman and Sergi Levrov signed a Joint Declaration over the deployment of weapons in outer space, thus ratifying their pro-disarmament and anti-proliferation stance.

“Russia’s initiative continues to win over more and more supporters,” Sergei Lavrov said on the heels of the meeting.

“We hope that a corresponding multi-party resolution will be passed at this year’s session of the UN General Assembly.”

The statement came as a follow-up on a 2008 international draft agreement to ban the ”weaponization of space.” The Treaty on Prevention of the Placement of Weapons in Outer Space was first proposed by China and Russia in a bid to forestall the next stage of the global arms race.