Russia-Chile boost friendship:

Joint declaration on economic crisis

Moscow: This visit has been very successful because it allowed to give a new boost to the excellent relationships that Russia and Chile have maintained for 100 years, Chilean President Michelle Bachelet said.

Moscow's 35 Millimeters room, surrounded by dozens of Russian admirers of the Chilean culture, who requested that she signed books and CDs with works by Chilean creators, the stateswoman accepted to be exclusively interviewed by Prensa Latina.

"This year, it has been a century since the arrival in Russia of the first Chilean ambassador, and we want to give a new boost to these relations," she stated.

"Both sides are based on a group of very similar prospects in the global scope, as revealed by the joint declaration we signed and how we have dealt with the economic crisis," she commented. The Chilean stateswoman highlighted that the strenuous agenda included, as equally important, issues that ranged from the trade to the cultural sphere.

"We opened the first Festival of Chilean Cinema in Moscow, and we are leaving Russia very happy for this fruitful visit, in the interest of Chile and Russia. That is what our peoples expect from us" she said.

I have come with an important delegation, shaped with parliamentarians from all political circles, because politics is a state issue to me, and I always invite legislators from all trends, she said.

She highlighted the presence of a large group of business people, who worked with their Russian colleagues in search of alternatives.

On the results of the negotiations, she expressed satisfaction with the cooperation areas studied, as the scientific-technological, educational and cultural spheres.

These are initiatives that we expect to bear fruit soon, she predicted. We have held business seminars in Saint Petersburg and Moscow, mainly beyond the Chilean market, which is small, because our population is barely 16 million inhabitants, she said.

We are not only seeking to bring Russian products into Chile and latin America, but also to look at our country as a business and service platform, said Bachelet.

We are proposing to take advantage of the network of 21 free trade agreements we have with 56 countries. That is to say 90 percent of the world Gross Domestic Product.

Moscow, Prensa Latina