Russia Advocates Strong, Independent Latin America -Putin

Russian president Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Russia  stands for Latin American countries to be strong, independent and successful.

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During the opening ceremony of the first-ever International Parliamentary Conference ‘Russia – Latin America,’ the President said that Moscow is willing to develop bilateral cooperation with Latin American nations that traditionally have a very similar vision of international relations and aspire to a multipolar world order.

"We have advocated and are still advocating for Latin America to be strong, independent and successful in its unity and diversity. To this end, we are poised to build cooperation both on the bilateral basis and during close work with integration associations of the Latin American region," Putin said. 

The Russian president referred to the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA), and the Southern Common Market (Mercosur).

"Latin Americans have always strived for independence, and the history of your continent is full of the most striking examples of this," the president said.

Likewise, Putin noted that the nations of the region have already become important players in the emerging multipolar world, and are influencing the formation of a new "system of international relations based on equality, justice, respect for international law and each other’s legitimate interests."

"In this new, polycentric architecture, the states of Latin America, with their enormous economic potential and human resources, and their desire to pursue a sovereign, independent foreign policy, will play one of the leading roles in the world. There is no doubt about it," he said.

The president stressed that the relations between Russia and the countries of the region are friendly, constructive and mutually beneficial, they are developed on the basis of equal rights and mutual consideration of interests.

"The volume of trade between Russia and Latin America has increased by 25% in the last five years, Russian exports have increased by 2.3 times, and of goods needed by Latin American countries," Putin said.

The event, which is organized by the lower house of the Russian Parliament, the State Duma, brings together more than 200 participants, including legislators from Latin American and Caribbean countries.