Argentine President Alberto Fernandez is on a five-day tour to Russia and China that started on February 3. Many see the visit as a sign of Buenos Aires moving closer to Moscow & Beijing to counterweight to Washington. Fernandez’s mission is to bring investment and strengthen political ties with two countries. During his visit to Russia, Fernandez called for an end to economic dependency on US and IMF.

The President of Argentina, Alberto Fernández, visited the Kremlin and told President Vladimir Putin that his country wants to end “dependency” on the US and strengthen economic ties with Russia instead.

Fernández told Putin “Argentina, in particular, is experiencing a very special situation as a result of its indebtedness and the economic situation that he inherited. From the 1990s onwards, Argentina has always looked towards the United States. Now, the Argentinian economy depends a lot on the debt it has with the United States, with the IMF, and the role that the US has within the IMF.”

The President added, “The context is very favorable to deepen the links between Russia and Argentina. We have to see a way for Argentina to become a gateway for Russia in Latin America”.

The visit comes directly after a draft deal with the IMF was announced and which has been regarded as a poor outcome for Argentina by leaders within the ruling party.

Fernández will also be visiting China and then Barbados, in a highly significant international tour which will disappoint the US government, which has long been trying to court Argentina.

A report by Brazil’s Folha de Sao Paulo on Wednesday revealed that the US government had urged Argentina and Brazil to not engage with Russia due to the current conflict over Ukraine.

Both countries are ignoring Washington and have scheduled in visits this week. Kremlin spokesperson Yuri Ushakov said, “With regard to the visits from Latin America, in particular, the visit of Fernández tomorrow…we are aware, we read the press, and we know of information from other sources, that the leaders of Brazil and Argentina were told to abstain from contacts with Russia. But these are large and reputable states that decide for themselves how to conduct foreign affairs, with whom to make contacts, and which countries to visit.”

Reuters: Argentina’s President Alberto Fernandez said on Thursday during a visit to Russia that his country must abandon its economic “dependence” on the United States and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Less than a week after Argentina agreed with the IMF on a new $44.5 billion standby deal, a major breakthrough in tense talks to restructure loans the country cannot repay, Fernandez met his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in the Kremlin to strengthen bilateral cooperation and trade relations.

Fernandez said when his Peronist political coalition was in government between 2003 and 2015 it sought to release Argentina from the “grip” of its relationship with Washington and the IMF, but that the subsequent government of former President Mauricio Macri again deepened those ties.

Fernandez is scheduled to visit China next, where he will participate in the official opening of the Winter Olympics in Beijing, and on Sunday will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping according to (Reuters)