Argentina highlights regional defence co-operation

Argentina: Defence Cooperation in the Southern zone of America has made great progress, said Argentinian Defense Minister Nilda Garre, who also referred to several bilateral actions taken in this regard.

"On Wednesday we signed with Uruguay the first cooperation agreement between our Defence Ministries ; with Chile we maintain a joint peacekeeping Southern Cross force and an Argentinian-Peruvian battalion of engineers is expected to be sent to Haiti, she saidin a meeting with journalists at the Defence Ministry headquarters in Buenos Aires.

Garre also announced that the UNASUR Defense Council Strategic Studies Center will start "full operation here by 2011." She also referred to Uruguay's interest in the attack and advance training versions of the Argentinian-made Pampa planes, as well as in the modernization of Pucara planes.

Prensa Latina