New Argentine leader praised from abroad

<a href=www.upi.com>UPI From the International Desk Published 5/26/2003 8:09 PM

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina, May 26 (UPI) -- Argentina´s new president received Monday widespread support from numerous Latin American leaders who also expressed a common interest in uniting the continent´s efforts to improve its collective economic outlook.

Nestor Kirchner, who assumed office Sunday, meet with leaders in the presidential residence Casa Rosada where he heard a consensus of optimism from leaders of all walks, including Cuba´s Fidel Castro, with whom the Argentine president spoke for an hour.

Other visitors included Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, Uruguay´s Jorge Batlle, Bolvian leader Gonzalo Sanchez de Losada and Peruvian President Alexander Toledo. Also on hand was U.S. envoy Mel Martínez, whose visit was characterized by one Argentine official as "satisfactory, mature and balanced."

Kirchner is expected to visit Washington within the next three months, according to the official.

Perhaps the most loquacious of the visiting leaders was Venezuela´s Hugo Chavez, who stressed his optimism for a center-left Kirchner administration that has pledged to bring jobs to the embattled nation suffering from the ill-effects of its December 2001 political and economic meltdown.

Chavez called for Argentina to embrace his vision for "united Latin American countries, especially those with a burdensome external debts," obviously referring to the $141 billion of foreign debt that Argentina defaulted on soon after its 2001 collapse, prompting then-President Fernando de la Rua to resign, as well as four caretaker presidents in a week´s time.

Uruguay´s Batlle said he discussed with Kirchner the two nation´s common interests and attempted to stem talk that there was persistent ill-will emanating from Uruguay due to Argentina´s economic collapse. Last year, Batlle accused Argentina´s leadership of sinking his country´s economy, a comment for which he later apologized. He said that the nation´s would work to improve regional ties, especially in regard to trade and the Mercosur Trade Bloc, of which both are members.

Calling his meeting with Kirchner "very productive" Peru's Toledo took the opportunity to call for "new mechanisms for financing investment in social areas" throughout the region, which is plagued by pervasive economic divides.

"If we are not able to produce those mechanisms, the governability of the region is in danger," said Toledo.

The kudos for Kirchner bodes well for his fledgling administration´s foreign relations, though his greatest challenge remains the daunting task of wrenching his embattled nation from an economic abyss. An estimated 60 percent of Argentina´s 36 million live in poverty.

On Sunday following his inauguration, the new Argentine president attempted to quell doubts about Argentina´s future and assured the nation´s citizenry that "we know where we are going and where we don't want to return."

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