RT Spanish will start broadcasting 24/7 in Argentina, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during a stop in Buenos Aires as part of his Latin American tour. RT has become the first foreign channel that will broadcast alongside Argentinian state channels.
"We are grateful to the Argentinian side for the opportunity to broadcast RT TV channel,” Putin said at a media conference in the Argentinian capital of Buenos Aires in the framework of his Latin American tour.
"We will be developing cooperation in the sphere of information. This is the aim of the agreement on cooperation in the field of mass communications. It will help the leading news agencies of Russia and Argentina expand contacts and promptly exchange information,” the Russian president said following talks with Argentinian President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner.
For the first time in Argentina, RT Spanish will be available 24/7 via a separate “button” alongside state channels, said Putin.The agreement in the mass communications sphere comes into effect on Saturday.
Russian President met with his Argentine counterpart during his official tour of Latin America following his first stop at Cuba’s Havana.
Following the meeting, Kirchner stressed that the two countries share approaches to the policies of double standards espoused by certain forces in the international arena. Kirchner said she believes there should be “multi-sided, multipolar relations, as there is a need for countries of the world to drop double standards and to arrive at a solution that would be fair.”
Putin believes that Russian companies will take an active part in the modernizing of Argentinian electric power stations, as well as in building new power plants.
He added that Russia’s Inter RAO group is planning to help in the construction of Chihuido-1 hydropower plant on the Neuquen River – a project worth US$2 billion. Another Russian company – Silovye Mashiny (Power Machinery) – is supplying hydrogenerator equipment for the Punta Negra hydropower plant, Putin said.
Rosatom corporation is also ready to participate in the construction of new blocs for Atucha nuclear power plant in Buenos Aires province, Russian Energy Minister Aleksandr Novak said earlier.
“As for the construction of the fourth and fifth blocs of the atomic electric station, Rosatom is currently actively working here. A technical commercial offer has already been handed over to [Argentinian] colleagues,” Novak said.
Speaking on the results of the talks, Putin said the two nations are also planning to strengthen cooperation in other hi-tech fields, including space. In particular, Russia expects Argentina to allow on its territory the installment of ground-based stations for Russia's Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS).
As for military-technological ties, the two presidents discussed the shipment of Russian helicopters and military cargo aircraft to the Latin American country for joint work in Antarctica.
Como le comenté al Presidente Putin, creemos firmemente en la multilateralidad, en la multipolaridad... pic.twitter.com/rO2ibHX70C
— Cristina Kirchner (@CFKArgentina) July 12, 2014
“Despite complicated processes in the world economy, we’ve managed to maintain a positive trend in goods turnover. Last year it increased by over 16 percent,” the Russian president said.
Special attention will be paid to the development of cultural relations, Putin added.
The Russian president has called for holding the Russia-Argentina Bilateral Culture Year in 2015, as the two countries will also mark the 130th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations next year.
“This is a landmark event," Putin said, adding that it would bring the people of both countries closer, proving the depth of relations in culture and international affairs.
"Russia and Argentina are bound together by more than a century-long history of close ties and strong mutual attraction. They say that there is some Russian blood in every sixth Argentinean. Many people from our country found their second home in Argentina," Putin said in an exclusive interview to Latin American news agency Prensa Latina ahead of his South American tour.