Will Argentina lose Russia? Pro-American government revises Russian-Argentine relations
The prospects for further economic and political cooperation between Russia and Argentina were called into question. On Saturday, June 11, 2016, it became known that the Radio and Television Broadcasting Authority of Argentina decided to suspend releases News Russia Today television channel as part of a free state television network. Residents of Argentina will be able to watch news broadcasts on the TV channel only on cable television networks. This decision was dictated by political motives, which you can not even doubt. Russia Today is known for its objective coverage of world events from positions that are not always in the spirit of the United States of America, EU countries and their many allies and satellites. In the case of Argentina, the cessation of broadcasting of the Russian television channel is associated with the further strengthening of the country's pro-American political course.
Recall that with 10 December 2015, the post of president of Argentina is Mauricio Macri. The 57-year-old politician was born into a family of Italian immigrants, was engaged in business for a long time, and in 1995-2007. led the Boca Juniors Football Club as president. In 2007-2015 Macri was twice elected mayor of the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires. In 2015, he was nominated for the presidency of Argentina from the center-right political party "Republican Proposal" and, having won, became head of state. According to many experts and analysts, Mauricio Macri is a 100% pro-American figure in Argentina’s political scene. A sharp turn in this major Latin American country towards cooperation with Washington is connected with his election as president. The ban on broadcasting of the Russia Today TV channel is only one of the links in the general chain of pro-American policies of Argentina under President Macri. Thus, the director of the Institute of Strategic Planning Alexander Gusev on the radio Sputnik emphasized that Mr. Makri will act as an absolutely pro-American politician as president. In particular, even during the election campaign, Makri severely criticized Venezuela’s foreign policy. Recall that Venezuela is now Russia's most important ally on the continent. Venezuela in 2008 not only supported the Russian military operation in South Ossetia, but also officially recognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states. Economic, cultural, and military-technical cooperation is developing between Russia and Venezuela, beneficial to both states. Good relations between Russia and Venezuela were established under the late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, and the current head of state, Nicolas Maduro, continues the line of his predecessor.
During the voting on sanctions against Venezuela at a conference of the Organization of American States, Argentine Foreign Minister Susana Malcorra said that her country would abstain from voting, but would not support Venezuela. The position of the Argentine authorities has caused disappointment in Venezuela, which has become accustomed to the good attitude on the part of Buenos Aires during the presidency of Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner. Many Argentines who sympathize with left-wing ideas were also dissatisfied. Even world-famous Argentine footballer Diego Maradona, who is known as a man of left-wing political convictions and a friend of the late Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, was forced to publicly apologize for the position of the government of his native country. “I apologize to the Venezuelan people for the position of Argentina in the Organization of American States. For the first time I am ashamed to be an Argentine. Maduro, we remain brothers, long live Venezuela! ”- wrote Diego Maradona on his page on the social network Facebook.
Before Mauricio Macri was elected president of Argentina, Buenos Aires also pursued a policy of developing political and economic relations with Russia. This was due to the fact that in 2007-2015. Argentina’s president was Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, known for her leftist views. Madame de Kirchner began her political career in the ranks of the Peronist Hustisialist Party. As president, Christine replaced her spouse Nestor Kirchner (1950-2010), who served as head of the Argentine state in 2003-2007. Nestor Kirchner was the man who changed Argentina’s domestic and foreign policy, which for a long time was one of the strongholds of Washington’s influence on the continent. In particular, Kirchner opposed the blockade of Cuba by the United States of America, declassified the archives of the Argentine special services, which contained information about the Nazi war criminals who were granted asylum in the country after World War II. Nestor Kirchner spoke out against international terrorism, unequivocally condemned terrorist acts on the territory of Russia and other countries of the world. Her husband’s politician was continued by her companion and political party ally Christina Kirchner, who visited Cuba in 2009 and became the first visiting head of Argentina for this island nation in 23. In Cuba, Christina Kirchner met with Fidel Castro. Then the head of Argentina visited Venezuela. The result of the meeting with Hugo Chavez was an agreement on the sale of oil to Argentina at a reduced price.
During the presidency of Christina Kirchner, the strengthening of Russian-Argentine relations began. 9 — 10 December 2008, Christine Fernandez de Kirchner made an official visit to Moscow. At the talks with President Dmitry Medvedev, she discussed cooperation in the areas of agriculture and the fuel and energy industry. It was also decided to establish a visa-free regime for tourists for a period not exceeding 90 days. In April, 2010, Mr. Dmitry Medvedev made a visit to Argentina, during which Russian-Argentine agreements were signed in the fields of railway transport, nuclear energy, and the joint use of the Russian satellite navigation system GLONASS. Thus, when Kirchner was president of Argentina, Russian-Argentine relations remained very friendly. Now, apparently, there is a gradual deterioration in bilateral relations, which is connected precisely with the change of the country's political course after the election of Mauricio Macri.
President Makri openly approached rapprochement with the United States of America, advocating the development and strengthening of trade and economic ties with the United States, as well as integration with the Pacific Alliance (Mexico, Peru, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica) and the European Union. Recall that now the countries of the Pacific Alliance are the main US allies in South and Central America. Cooperation with them also means supporting their political course, which is directed in foreign policy against left-wing regimes in Ecuador, Bolivia, Venezuela, and Cuba. Makri also proclaims himself a defender of human rights and democratic values and in this capacity criticizes Venezuela, whose president Nicolas Maduro pro-American media are constantly accused of systematic violation of human rights in the country. The pro-American and pro-European position of Mauricio Macri gives Argentina the opportunity to use the financial resources of the United States and the European Union, which will invest in the country's economy in exchange for its support on key foreign policy issues.
Argentina authorities formally motivate the decision to suspend RT channel releases by the need to free up frequencies for broadcasting local television channels. But in fact, behind this decision is read the poorly concealed political demarche against Russia. Russian Ambassador to Argentina, Victor Coronelli, in an interview with RIA Novosti hoped that the Argentine authorities would reconsider the decision to suspend broadcasting of the Russian television channel. According to the ambassador, such a decision does not correspond to the spirit of bilateral relations. At the same time, other Russian officials were less diplomatic in their statements. So, the chairman of the State Duma Committee on Foreign Affairs, Alexei Pushkov, on his Twitter page commented on the decision of the Argentinean authorities: “Immediately after the US protege became the head of Argentina, they decided to withdraw Russia Today from the national broadcast. But can our market be protected from their meat? ”
Of course, it is unlikely that Russia's relations with Argentina immediately after the decision to suspend broadcasting of the channel will enter the stage of economic confrontation, but it’s hard not to admit that this decision itself is a very alarming symptom. It seems that Argentina is beginning to revise its foreign policy and, ultimately, following in the wake of the United States, will move to anti-Russian positions. It is difficult to say who will lose more as a result of breaking bilateral ties. But it is already clear that Argentina will definitely not benefit from joining the US and EU anti-Russian policies.
Firstly, in Russia there is a large market for Argentinean agricultural products. The main export products of Argentina in the agricultural sector has always been meat, but Argentina also exports to Russia apples, pears, lemons, peanuts, plums. If Argentina takes any unfriendly actions against Russia, it is possible that Russia will impose prohibitive sanctions on Argentinean products. It is unlikely that Argentinean farmers will like it. At least in Italy, France, Germany, agricultural producers have literally "howled" against the ban on the import of agricultural products into Russia. After all, these are enormous losses incurred by European agricultural producers through the fault of their governments, which protect American political and economic interests. Secondly, cooperation with Russia is beneficial to Argentina in other areas, especially in the fuel and energy complex and the military-technical sphere. Contracts for the supply of the latest aviation equipment on the construction of new blocks of a nuclear power plant and new cascades of hydroelectric power in Argentina. To lose such a partner in order to satisfy the interests of the United States is stupid and, one might say, anti-people. Moreover, agriculture is traditionally one of the most important sectors of the Argentinean economy and the country's national income depends on agricultural exports. Argentina is considered one of the most important suppliers of beef to the world market. But in addition, Argentina is also known as an exporter of chicken, fish, cheese, dairy products. According to a number of sources, in 2013 the share of Argentinean meat in the Russian market amounted to 12%, and there was an obvious tendency to increase sales of Argentinean products in the Russian market.
After the introduction of sanctions on products of the European Union and the United States, Argentina announced that it plans to increase the supply of meat to Russia twice. That is, a quarter of all the meat on the Russian market could fall on Argentine products. Naturally, such a situation would be very profitable for Argentinean producers themselves - Russia, as a market, is very interesting for foreign companies. Moreover, sanctions against American and European products placed Argentina in a privileged position on the Russian market - it could supply agricultural products without actually having serious competition. Argentine producers were going to add to the traditional supply of meat, dairy products and fruit olive oil, pasta, confectionery, cheese, fish, dried fruit, fruit juices and a number of other goods that were bought by Russian trade networks in the European Union before the sanctions were imposed.
However, the government of Makri intends to analyze and revise the treaties of Argentina with China and Russia concluded under President Kirchner. Recall that in the last two years alone, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has signed 43 agreements with China, including 20 secret agreements, and 17 agreements with Russia, the details of which are also not disclosed. Now the Argentine authorities are confident that the agreements concluded with China and Russia are not beneficial for the country. But if you take into account the pro-American course of Macri, then for Argentina, it seems, the times are returning when the country benefited only what benefits Washington. This concerns, by the way, not only foreign policy. Makri, being a representative of the pro-American wing of the Argentine political elite, is a supporter of neoliberal policies and, accordingly, sooner or later, the country will begin to curtail many social programs, the abolition of social guarantees. According to Macri and his supporters, these measures will increase the attractiveness of Argentina for foreign investors, in this case they prefer not to speak about the interests of ordinary Argentines. The struggle against left-wing regimes in Latin America, which are oriented toward cooperation with Russia and China, is of strategic interest to the United States of America and in this regard, the pro-American course of such a regional power as Argentina is extremely beneficial to Washington. Therefore, the United States will provide Argentina with comprehensive support, hoping, in turn, to use it as a conductor of its influence in the south of the New World. It is possible that the United States will help to restructure the public debt of Argentina and contribute to its partial entry into the Pacific Partnership created by the allies of the United States.
Recall that with 10 December 2015, the post of president of Argentina is Mauricio Macri. The 57-year-old politician was born into a family of Italian immigrants, was engaged in business for a long time, and in 1995-2007. led the Boca Juniors Football Club as president. In 2007-2015 Macri was twice elected mayor of the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires. In 2015, he was nominated for the presidency of Argentina from the center-right political party "Republican Proposal" and, having won, became head of state. According to many experts and analysts, Mauricio Macri is a 100% pro-American figure in Argentina’s political scene. A sharp turn in this major Latin American country towards cooperation with Washington is connected with his election as president. The ban on broadcasting of the Russia Today TV channel is only one of the links in the general chain of pro-American policies of Argentina under President Macri. Thus, the director of the Institute of Strategic Planning Alexander Gusev on the radio Sputnik emphasized that Mr. Makri will act as an absolutely pro-American politician as president. In particular, even during the election campaign, Makri severely criticized Venezuela’s foreign policy. Recall that Venezuela is now Russia's most important ally on the continent. Venezuela in 2008 not only supported the Russian military operation in South Ossetia, but also officially recognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states. Economic, cultural, and military-technical cooperation is developing between Russia and Venezuela, beneficial to both states. Good relations between Russia and Venezuela were established under the late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, and the current head of state, Nicolas Maduro, continues the line of his predecessor.
During the voting on sanctions against Venezuela at a conference of the Organization of American States, Argentine Foreign Minister Susana Malcorra said that her country would abstain from voting, but would not support Venezuela. The position of the Argentine authorities has caused disappointment in Venezuela, which has become accustomed to the good attitude on the part of Buenos Aires during the presidency of Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner. Many Argentines who sympathize with left-wing ideas were also dissatisfied. Even world-famous Argentine footballer Diego Maradona, who is known as a man of left-wing political convictions and a friend of the late Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, was forced to publicly apologize for the position of the government of his native country. “I apologize to the Venezuelan people for the position of Argentina in the Organization of American States. For the first time I am ashamed to be an Argentine. Maduro, we remain brothers, long live Venezuela! ”- wrote Diego Maradona on his page on the social network Facebook.
Before Mauricio Macri was elected president of Argentina, Buenos Aires also pursued a policy of developing political and economic relations with Russia. This was due to the fact that in 2007-2015. Argentina’s president was Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, known for her leftist views. Madame de Kirchner began her political career in the ranks of the Peronist Hustisialist Party. As president, Christine replaced her spouse Nestor Kirchner (1950-2010), who served as head of the Argentine state in 2003-2007. Nestor Kirchner was the man who changed Argentina’s domestic and foreign policy, which for a long time was one of the strongholds of Washington’s influence on the continent. In particular, Kirchner opposed the blockade of Cuba by the United States of America, declassified the archives of the Argentine special services, which contained information about the Nazi war criminals who were granted asylum in the country after World War II. Nestor Kirchner spoke out against international terrorism, unequivocally condemned terrorist acts on the territory of Russia and other countries of the world. Her husband’s politician was continued by her companion and political party ally Christina Kirchner, who visited Cuba in 2009 and became the first visiting head of Argentina for this island nation in 23. In Cuba, Christina Kirchner met with Fidel Castro. Then the head of Argentina visited Venezuela. The result of the meeting with Hugo Chavez was an agreement on the sale of oil to Argentina at a reduced price.
During the presidency of Christina Kirchner, the strengthening of Russian-Argentine relations began. 9 — 10 December 2008, Christine Fernandez de Kirchner made an official visit to Moscow. At the talks with President Dmitry Medvedev, she discussed cooperation in the areas of agriculture and the fuel and energy industry. It was also decided to establish a visa-free regime for tourists for a period not exceeding 90 days. In April, 2010, Mr. Dmitry Medvedev made a visit to Argentina, during which Russian-Argentine agreements were signed in the fields of railway transport, nuclear energy, and the joint use of the Russian satellite navigation system GLONASS. Thus, when Kirchner was president of Argentina, Russian-Argentine relations remained very friendly. Now, apparently, there is a gradual deterioration in bilateral relations, which is connected precisely with the change of the country's political course after the election of Mauricio Macri.
President Makri openly approached rapprochement with the United States of America, advocating the development and strengthening of trade and economic ties with the United States, as well as integration with the Pacific Alliance (Mexico, Peru, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica) and the European Union. Recall that now the countries of the Pacific Alliance are the main US allies in South and Central America. Cooperation with them also means supporting their political course, which is directed in foreign policy against left-wing regimes in Ecuador, Bolivia, Venezuela, and Cuba. Makri also proclaims himself a defender of human rights and democratic values and in this capacity criticizes Venezuela, whose president Nicolas Maduro pro-American media are constantly accused of systematic violation of human rights in the country. The pro-American and pro-European position of Mauricio Macri gives Argentina the opportunity to use the financial resources of the United States and the European Union, which will invest in the country's economy in exchange for its support on key foreign policy issues.
Argentina authorities formally motivate the decision to suspend RT channel releases by the need to free up frequencies for broadcasting local television channels. But in fact, behind this decision is read the poorly concealed political demarche against Russia. Russian Ambassador to Argentina, Victor Coronelli, in an interview with RIA Novosti hoped that the Argentine authorities would reconsider the decision to suspend broadcasting of the Russian television channel. According to the ambassador, such a decision does not correspond to the spirit of bilateral relations. At the same time, other Russian officials were less diplomatic in their statements. So, the chairman of the State Duma Committee on Foreign Affairs, Alexei Pushkov, on his Twitter page commented on the decision of the Argentinean authorities: “Immediately after the US protege became the head of Argentina, they decided to withdraw Russia Today from the national broadcast. But can our market be protected from their meat? ”
Of course, it is unlikely that Russia's relations with Argentina immediately after the decision to suspend broadcasting of the channel will enter the stage of economic confrontation, but it’s hard not to admit that this decision itself is a very alarming symptom. It seems that Argentina is beginning to revise its foreign policy and, ultimately, following in the wake of the United States, will move to anti-Russian positions. It is difficult to say who will lose more as a result of breaking bilateral ties. But it is already clear that Argentina will definitely not benefit from joining the US and EU anti-Russian policies.
Firstly, in Russia there is a large market for Argentinean agricultural products. The main export products of Argentina in the agricultural sector has always been meat, but Argentina also exports to Russia apples, pears, lemons, peanuts, plums. If Argentina takes any unfriendly actions against Russia, it is possible that Russia will impose prohibitive sanctions on Argentinean products. It is unlikely that Argentinean farmers will like it. At least in Italy, France, Germany, agricultural producers have literally "howled" against the ban on the import of agricultural products into Russia. After all, these are enormous losses incurred by European agricultural producers through the fault of their governments, which protect American political and economic interests. Secondly, cooperation with Russia is beneficial to Argentina in other areas, especially in the fuel and energy complex and the military-technical sphere. Contracts for the supply of the latest aviation equipment on the construction of new blocks of a nuclear power plant and new cascades of hydroelectric power in Argentina. To lose such a partner in order to satisfy the interests of the United States is stupid and, one might say, anti-people. Moreover, agriculture is traditionally one of the most important sectors of the Argentinean economy and the country's national income depends on agricultural exports. Argentina is considered one of the most important suppliers of beef to the world market. But in addition, Argentina is also known as an exporter of chicken, fish, cheese, dairy products. According to a number of sources, in 2013 the share of Argentinean meat in the Russian market amounted to 12%, and there was an obvious tendency to increase sales of Argentinean products in the Russian market.
After the introduction of sanctions on products of the European Union and the United States, Argentina announced that it plans to increase the supply of meat to Russia twice. That is, a quarter of all the meat on the Russian market could fall on Argentine products. Naturally, such a situation would be very profitable for Argentinean producers themselves - Russia, as a market, is very interesting for foreign companies. Moreover, sanctions against American and European products placed Argentina in a privileged position on the Russian market - it could supply agricultural products without actually having serious competition. Argentine producers were going to add to the traditional supply of meat, dairy products and fruit olive oil, pasta, confectionery, cheese, fish, dried fruit, fruit juices and a number of other goods that were bought by Russian trade networks in the European Union before the sanctions were imposed.
However, the government of Makri intends to analyze and revise the treaties of Argentina with China and Russia concluded under President Kirchner. Recall that in the last two years alone, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has signed 43 agreements with China, including 20 secret agreements, and 17 agreements with Russia, the details of which are also not disclosed. Now the Argentine authorities are confident that the agreements concluded with China and Russia are not beneficial for the country. But if you take into account the pro-American course of Macri, then for Argentina, it seems, the times are returning when the country benefited only what benefits Washington. This concerns, by the way, not only foreign policy. Makri, being a representative of the pro-American wing of the Argentine political elite, is a supporter of neoliberal policies and, accordingly, sooner or later, the country will begin to curtail many social programs, the abolition of social guarantees. According to Macri and his supporters, these measures will increase the attractiveness of Argentina for foreign investors, in this case they prefer not to speak about the interests of ordinary Argentines. The struggle against left-wing regimes in Latin America, which are oriented toward cooperation with Russia and China, is of strategic interest to the United States of America and in this regard, the pro-American course of such a regional power as Argentina is extremely beneficial to Washington. Therefore, the United States will provide Argentina with comprehensive support, hoping, in turn, to use it as a conductor of its influence in the south of the New World. It is possible that the United States will help to restructure the public debt of Argentina and contribute to its partial entry into the Pacific Partnership created by the allies of the United States.
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