OREANDA-NEWS. A meeting of CCI of Russia Vice-President Georgy Petrov with Deputy Minister of Science and Technology of the Misiones Province (Argentina) Carlos Galian has taken place at the CCI of Russia. President of the Association of Argentine Exporters and Importers Daniel Solda and Counselor of the Argentine Embassy in Russia for Culture, Science, Technology and Investment Rafael Patrignani also attended the meeting.

In the words of Georgy Petrov, Argentina is one of the oldest and biggest trade and economic partners of Russia in Latin America but the cooperation potential is still being largely unused. Bilateral trade grew by 66.7% to USD 1.8 billion in 2011, but declined a lot in 2012 because of the reduction of Russian exports.

Unfortunately, the bigger part of exports is crude, petroleum products and mineral fertilizers while the former Soviet Union supplied Argentina with the newest hydropower hardware, Georgy Petrov said. Russia could supply aviation equipment, helicopters, trucks and construction machines, the CCI of Russia Vice-President suggested. Cooperation in telecommunications, including the Glonass satellite navigation system stations of which have been deployed in Brazil - a close neighbor of Argentina, could also be of interest.

In turn, Argentina and, particularly, the Misiones province, export food and tobacco. This region is a major producer and exporter of mate tea, some of which goes to Russia. Another important resource of Misiones is timber. The delegation headed by Carlos Galian is looking for Russian partners in this area.

Misiones has opened a techno-park working on green economy innovations. Misiones businessmen and scientists are searching for the newest innovative technologies for the production of bio-fuel. Timber industry waste is being used for making bio-ethanol and bio-diesel, but Argentineans wish to enlarge the efficiency ratio of the vegetable resources and investment in concrete projects. It is impossible to create and develop bio-technologies and produce energy from alternative resources without foreign partners, Carlos Galian said.

Russia has such specialists, but these technologies have not become widely spread. At the same time, Georgy Petrov promised to select contacts of Russian companies interested in such cooperation.

The joint work of Russian and Argentine specialists may bring results. A meeting with the National Committee for Assistance to Economic Cooperation with Latin America, in which Carlos Galian is to take part on July 5, 2013, will contribute to that. Georgy Petrov expressed confidence that communication with Russian businessmen will yield tangible results for mutually beneficial partnership between Russia and Argentina.