Argentina and Brazil are considering the joint manufacturing of different types of arms both for regional defense and for export, according to the Buenos Aires press. This coming Friday, February 22, Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will make an official visit to Argentina's President, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, and one of the several accords to be signed refers to the "production for defense."

Brazil has a long established arms industry which includes ground, air and sea equipment plus incipient missiles and a satellite launching pad in the north of the country next to the equator line.

Argentina on the other hand has had an erratic experience dating back to mid 20th century with ups and downs and a strong development of missile technology, dismantled during the President Carlos Menem years, and nuclear energy.

This defense production accord and several others relating to scientific, technological, space and nuclear cooperation were ironed out during a seven hours meeting of Argentine and Brazilian staff in Rio do Janeiro over the weekend.

Presidents Lula and Cristina Fernandez are also schedule to talk about the current Doha round global trade negotiations and the latest drafts for a possible trade summit sometime in late March.

According to Argentina's International Economic Relations Secretary Alfredo Chiaradia there are still "170 contentious issues" pending contrary to the interests of agriculture exporting countries such as Argentina and Brazil.

The Buenos Aires press speculates there could be an official statement from Mercosur on the WTO trade talks.

Other items in the bilateral agenda are the coming Rio Group summit in the Dominican Republic, which was shunned by Mr. Kirchner but that Mrs. Kirchner in her international relations push wants to signal a strong Argentine presence; the South American presidents summit scheduled to take place in Bogota, Colombia at the end of the month and which the Brazilian diplomacy is interested in promoting and finally the South-South summit between Mercosur, South Africa and India leaders that has been scheduled for mid 2008 in Buenos Aires.

Mercopress

Comments (10)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

...
written by João da Silva, 2008-02-19 20:11:48

but that Mrs. Kirchner in her international relations push wants to signal a strong Argentine presence;

I am sure that with her being present in the Bogota summit, the rest of the world will get a strong signal (digital and analogical) that Argentina is a formidable country that can not be ignored.

Is the First Gentleman of Argentina planning to accompany his President to this summit?

she has better ties to the chillian prez
written by forrest allen brown, 2008-02-19 21:26:38

"170 contentious issues and how long will that take to hash out .

Argentina proved that when they took on England over the rocks off there coast ( made money on that one )

if they could just get there money set .
i was in belem in 2003 when there money tanked and met 3 college kids with only a few bucks to there names and no way to survive
so we took them on the roamdeep as far as PE and gave them buss fare to home the real was 395 too 1 .
and there money was not even taken at banco brasil .
still get email from the kids though they are married and one couple has kids all had to leave school as money was gone .

Brazil has a long established arms industry which includes ....etc !!!!!!
written by ch.c., 2008-02-19 21:57:23

More than doubtful !
Another Brazilian fairy tale....meaning......pure lie !

Just look at your annual budget for the army ! Which includes food, salaries for soldiers, trucks and engine maintenance, but certainly not
for weapons.
Just look at your plane fighters. Last year you bought a few of them....second hand and over 30 years old generation.

You can just build agricultural spraying airplanes !!!!

As to Argentina, even worse. During the Falklands war they used the french exocet missiles to hit the British navy !

May be you can build old Kalachnikovs by buying a licence from Russia.

To Joao and Forrest !!!!!
written by ch.c., 2008-02-19 22:10:27

Funny your comments :
- Joao : "that Argentina is a formidable country that can not be ignored" ?????? by having used French missiles and foreign built warships ?
- Forrest :"Argentina proved that when they took on England over the rocks off there coast " ? Argentina returned home c**ks in the mouth and totally humiliated ! Sorry for them !!!!! Just re-read the medias articles ! To my knowledge...there is NOT ONE Argentinean....in the Falklands....TODAY. Not even one cleaning the British toilets there !

Forrest
written by João da Silva, 2008-02-19 23:34:48

she has better ties to the chillian prez

Forrest, are you insinuating something sinister between those two? You better come out clean and share the secrets with your buddies

Ch.c
written by João da Silva, 2008-02-19 23:36:14

Funny your comments :
- Joao : "that Argentina is a formidable country that can not be ignored" ?????? by having used French missiles and foreign built warships ?

That was meant to be funny

ch.c
written by forrest allen brown, 2008-02-20 11:15:28

you have not been there latley have you .

england and our sothern most country have worked out there well differences .

and many people are back there working .and doing oil exploration , and fishing

the french missiles did there job along with the A4 sky hawks form the US

loteck wepons will kill hi teck just as easy without the money investment

JOAO i beleive in the next brazil elections for prez the women will vote

You are in fact wrong
written by Dewolfe, 2008-02-20 13:27:04

Quoting More than doubtful !
Another Brazilian fairy tale....meaning......pure lie !

Just look at your annual budget for the army ! Which includes food, salaries for soldiers, trucks and engine maintenance, but certainly not
for weapons unquote

Look up IMBEL. They are doing very well; in fact the newest assault rifle in 7.62 NATO is the indicated price/value choice for countries wanting the larger caliber rifle. These are descended from FAL designs, inherently finer in tolerances, addons, and furniture than the AK's. They also have a good line of armor and artillery products that I suspect are competitive.Aviation information is not so available but Brasil is certainly competitive with it's line of new commercial carriers which are selling well in the first world.i'm not an expert or even a weapons buff but I know these things just from following news reports and commercial information.

Dewolfe

Don't understimate
written by LatinoAmericano, 2008-02-23 00:02:21

They don't just make planes, weapons, satallites, and nuclear reactors... they also make toothbrushes.

.

...
written by Eduardo C., 2008-03-06 12:50:10

Quanta ignorância!! Um bando de merdinhas estrangeiros, querendo dar palpites no que nem conhecem..ou seja o Brasil e suas industrias de armas.Um bando de babaquinhas mimados.Uns filhos da p**a!! VIVA O BRASIL...GET OUT GRINGOS MALDITOS

Name

Email

Website

Title

Comment

smaller | bigger

Subscribe via email (Registered users only)

Add Comment

---