BUENOS AIRES—The presidents of Argentina and Brazil signed a broad range of agreements Monday to cooperate on everything from nuclear power development to broadband expansion and regional pharmaceutical standards.
In her first state visit abroad, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff met with Argentine President Cristina Kirchner to underscore the importance of political and economic ties between the countries.
The presidents, who touted the meeting as a historical event between two women who lead South American nations, pledged to build literal and figurative bridges between the nations.
Among other things, they will work together to promote the development of biofuels in the region, share research on two new 30-megawatt nuclear reactors, exchange electricity and boost broadband access in the region.
In addition, the presidents said they will work together on common pharmaceutical goals that should help the counties to reduce their "dependence" on imported drugs from other regions.
Meanwhile, the cooperation in nuclear research on the new reactors will be based on a reactor that the Argentine technology company Invap produced for Australia.
The multipurpose reactors will allow for joint work on radioisotopes and food irradiation, among other things.
The countries will also build a new international bridge that crosses the Pepiri-Guazu river to connect the cities of San Pedro in Argentina and Paraiso in Brazil.
Ms. Rousseff, a 62-year old former leftist guerilla, was elected Brazil's first woman president last October after serving as a cabinet minister in the government of her predecessor, the immensely popular Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. It was the first time Ms. Rousseff had run for elective office.
Argentina's president, by contrast, is a consummate politician. A trained lawyer, Ms. Kirchner, 57, has had stints as senator for the provinces of Santa Cruz and Buenos Aires before succeeding her husband, the late Nestor Kirchner, in the presidency in 2007.
The countries also pledged to work together on public housing projects and the joint promotion of trade and exports to other countries.
Argentina and Brazil were rivals for much of the 20th century. However, Argentina's influence has waned on the continent as Brazil reaps the fruits of nearly two decades of political stability and economic reforms.
Brazil, which boasts Latin America's largest economy, is increasingly flexing its economic and political muscle abroad. Brazilian corporations are global heavyweights in mining, aerospace, steel and food processing, while Brazil's voice is increasingly heard in the Group of 20 industrialized and big emerging nations, and in other international organizations.
Political continuity and economic stability have proven elusive in Argentina. The free-market policies of the 1990s, which are blamed for devastating local industry, were followed by a sovereign debt crisis and economic meltdown in 2001-2002.
Argentina's economy has posted high levels of growth under Ms. Kirchner and her husband, but at the cost of inflation that is widely believed to be running more than double the official 10.9% reported for 2010.
Argentina, South America's No. 2 economy, and Brazil have increasingly looked to cooperate on trade and foreign policy issues. Brazil has backed Argentina's claims of sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, which the United Kingdom controls, and the two neighboring nations dominate the southern cone customs union, known as Mercosur, whose other founding members are Uruguay and Paraguay.
Brazil is also Argentina's top trading partner. Trade between the neighboring countries has grown tenfold in the last two decades to nearly $33 billion last year.
Source: http://online.wsj.com
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