MEDVEDEV, MATVIENKO TO ARGENTINA IN APRIL

C O N F I D E N T I A L MOSCOW 000295 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/10/2020 TAGS: PREL PGOV MASS RS AR SUBJECT: MEDVEDEV, MATVIENKO TO ARGENTINA IN APRIL Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor Susan Elliott for reasons 1 .4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) In a February 5 meeting with poloff, Argentine Charge d'Affaires Jose Venere said President Medvedev will visit Buenos Aires on April 14 and will likely sign bilateral agreements on extradition, double-taxation, prisoner exchanges, and cooperation against drug trafficking. After Argentina, President Medvedev will travel to Brasilia, Brazil on April 15-16 for a BRIC meeting, followed by Chile. In preparation for the visit, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov will travel to Buenos Aires March 17 and will likely sign an agreement to expand the GOR's cooperation with MERCOSUR. ¶2. (C) Venere also noted that plans were underway for St. Petersburg Mayor Valentina Matvienko to visit Argentina on either April 7 or with the Presidential delegation. St. Petersburg is currently sister cities with Mar Del Plata and will also become a sister city with Buenos Aires during the Presidential visit. According to Venere, there is a growing Russian and Ukrainian population in Mar del Plata and Mayor Matvienko will lay the foundation stone of the first Russian Orthodox Church there and inaugurate a Russian fishery project during her visit. ¶3. (C) In bilateral military relations, Venere noted that despite initial efforts on both sides in favor of stronger military ties, cooperation was limited and meetings of a bilateral military commission had stalled. He said that the Russians had asked Argentina to purchase several MI-17 helicopters, in part to fix the commercial imbalance between the two countries. (Note: Venere estimated that Argentina exports 10 to 12 times more to Russia than it imports. End note). He said it was unlikely Argentina would purchase the helicopters, since the previous four Sukhoy airplanes purchased from the Russians were in need of spare parts. He said that Argentina did intend to purchase the Russian icebreaker Vassily Golovnin that it has rented the past two years, and was in talks to purchase or jointly build another Russian icebreaker for use in Antarctica. Beyrle