4 September 2016, 18:26 GMT
HANGZHOU (Sputnik) — Argentina remains Russia’s significant economic and trade partner in Latin America, President Vladimir Putin said Monday at his first face-to-face meeting with the nation’s new leader Mauricio Macri.
"Argentina is our noticeable trade and economic partner in Latin America. Despite all the difficulties we’ve discussed today, our trade turnover rose 1.7 percent in January-June," Putin said after the meeting on the G20 Summit sidelines in Hangzhou, China.
Right-winger Macri succeeded Argentina’s Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner after the November 2015 election. This is the first meeting of his tenure with the Russian president. They spoke twice over the phone.
Putin said the two countries had been in contact on various ministerial and departmental levels, as well as through parliaments, on regional and international levels. The meeting was attended by ministers of foreign affairs, energy, economic development and senior executives.
