Russia, Argentina tout world without US domination

[Judi Lynn]

Russia, Argentina tout world without US domination

The Associated Press
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
MOSCOW: The presidents of Russia and Argentina called for a world not dominated by the United States as the two countries signed deals Wednesday to cooperate in energy, agriculture and science and other areas.

The agreements dealing with nuclear and conventional power, scientific research and food exports underlined Russia's growing interest in developing relations with Latin America. They come shortly after Russian President Dmitry Medvedev made a high-profile trip to the region.

"The domination of one state, even the biggest, most powerful or most successful one, is unacceptable in any case," Medvedev said.

After the signing, Argentinian President Cristina Fernandez expanded on the theme, complaining how "powerful states" had forced economic and security policies onto others.

"We see the results of such policy — the whole planet is paying for it," she said.

Medvedev and Fernandez witnessed the signings and issued a joint statement in which they "expressed support for the multilateral approach ... in the search for peaceful resolution of intergovernmental conflicts and the new problems of forming a multipolar world," a phrase implying opposition to the United States' perceived dominance of world affairs.

More:
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/12/10/europe/EU-Russia-Argentina.php

[Judi Lynn]

1. Argentina Congress Extends President's Emergency Powers Law

Argentina Congress Extends President's Emergency Powers Law
12-10-081728ET

BUENOS AIRES -(Dow Jones)- The Argentine Senate approved Wednesday another one-year extension of a repeatedly extended emergency law that gives the president wide-ranging unilateral powers in various economic matters.

President Cristina Fernandez will again be granted the emergency powers enjoyed by the former president, her husband Nestor Kirchner throughout his term.

As a senator in 2002, Fernandez opposed the law when it was first drafted in favor of then-president Eduardo Duhalde. She abstained from voting on it when it came up for annual renewal throughout her husband's administration, which began in 2003.

The emergency powers law, which was originally designed to contend with the financial crisis of 2002, affords the executive branch powers to rule by decree in various economic, foreign exchange, industrial and labor policy areas.It also grants the executive the power to renegotiate public service contracts with utilities without seeking congressional approval for the individual contracts and to renegotiate defaulted debt in the same way.

The emergency powers law has been extended seven times since 2002, despite a five-year recovery in which the Argentine economy has averaged growth in excess of 8.5%.

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