Based in the Russia Today press center, the link promoted by the Moscow Department of Investment and Industrial Policy and the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade cleared the way for exchanges between businesses in both regions.

In the plenary session, Tatiana Mashkova, general director of the National Committee for Economic Cooperation with Latin American Countries, acknowledged that bilateral exports are far below their capacities.

‘The levels of these exchanges hurt me,’ said Dmitri Razumovsky, deputy director of the Institute of Latin America of the Russian Academy of Sciences, who also said that Russia should give up ‘conservative’ stance to promote trade with Latin America.

Ms. Mashkova stressed that both regions must transcend previous stages of a traditional trade marked by the shipment of meat, fruits, vegetables, seafood, rum, wine and cocoa from Latin America, while Russia supplies machinery and industrial equipment.

She also said that there have recently been advances in acquiring high-level Russian technologies and products in Latin America, but assured that Latin America can take on Russia´s cutting-edge productions.

In this regard, Sergio Contreras, executive vice president of the Mexican Business Council for Foreign Trade, said that his country’s trade with Russia closed at $13 billion this year.

He stated that Mexico is deeply interested in establishing synergies to foster business in terms of renewable energy, industry, among other all-important sectors.

Argentine Ambassador in Moscow Eduardo Zuain highlighted Russia´s role in fighting Covid-19 in his country, one of the first to register and produce Sputnik V vaccine.

pgh/Pll/msm / mml