"Russia wants to develop bilateral cooperation in high technologies and Chile shares this Russian aspiration," Mironov said on the results of the meeting. In his opinion, Russo-Chilean trade and economic relations have improved considerably of late. He said high technologies, in particular in space exploration, are a promising sphere.
The house speaker also informed President Lagos that the 2002 agreement on mutual assistance in the customs sphere remained ineffective because the Chilean parliament has not ratified. The president said purely bureaucratic obstacles hindered its enforcement.
Later in the day, Mironov met with heads of the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Chilean parliament. "Russia is studying the Chilean experience of organizing the work of the system of non-state pension funds, which is instrumental in solving the social problems of the population, above all pensioners," said Mironov. "Besides, these funds have a substantial investment potential and Russia is a highly promising investment market."