Argentine president heads to Russia to promote trade, energy agreements

[Judi Lynn]

Updated: 32 minutes ago
Argentine president heads to Russia to promote trade, energy agreements
By Associated Press
4:33 PM EST, December 8, 2008

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — President Cristina Fernandez and more than 100 Argentine business leaders are on their way to Russia for a two-day state visit aimed at bolstering trade and signing energy and mining agreements.

Fernandez will meet with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and President Dmitri Medvedev.

The two presidents are planning to sign a bilateral accord between Russia's biggest private oil company Lukoil and Energia Argentina S.A.

International Trade Undersecretary Luis Maria Kreckler told Buenos Aires-based Radio America Monday that Lukoil is interested in offshore drilling in Argentina.

Trade between the two countries increased 430 percent between 2003 and 2007 to $1.2 billion, according to the Argentine Foreign Ministry.

http://www.courant.com/business/sns-ap-lt-argentina-russia,0,36059.story