Russia plans a large presence in Argentina with two nuclear power plants and military equipment – MercoPress

Russia plans a large presence in Argentina with two nuclear power plants and military equipment

Tuesday, May 4, 2021 – 8:26 PM UTC

According to Feoktistov, Russia would be ready to supply Argentina with the “most modern and most suitable military weapons”.

Russia’s ambassador to Buenos Aires, Dmitri Feoktistov, has confirmed his country’s intention to build two nuclear power plants in Argentina, and press sources in the presidential palace at Casa Rosada have not denied this, although the project has yet to be officially approved by President Alberto Fernández’s government .

The collaboration between Argentina and Russia has been going smoothly since the purchase of Sputnik V anti-coronavirus vaccines and the agreement to manufacture them locally in the near future.

Of the two planned facilities that Russia allegedly wants to support financially, one would be on the Argentine mainland while the other, more ambitious, would be at sea.

“Among the projects that we (Economic) Minister Martín Guzmán and the government have proposed is the construction of a floating nuclear power plant that could be anywhere on the vast Argentine territory.” Feoktistov said in a television interview. There is only one such plant in the world and it is also Russian. It has been off the Russian coast on the Arctic Sea since May last year.

The diplomat described the option as a joint venture where Argentina would provide the shipping and Russia would be responsible for “the nuclear reactors.”

However, Argentine business and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have admitted that they are unaware of such a project.

The plant in mainland Russia would already be similar to that in China in the Argentine province of Neuquén, said Feoktistov, and his versions are likely to coincide with the visit of the Argentine Economy Minister Martín Guzmán to the Russian company Rosatom in the past few weeks.

Russian interest in Argentina dates back to Cristina Fernández de Kirchner’s presidency (2007-2015) and there was also diplomatic exchange under Mauricio Macri (2015-2019), but Vladimir Putin’s government sees the new rapprochement through Sputnik V vaccine as another opportunity to pick up things where they had just been left.

?? We suggested building, owning and operating the facility? ?? said Feoktistov. “These are projects that can cost $ 10 billion or more, and Russia is willing to pay anything so Argentina doesn’t spend a single peso,” which in turn casts doubt on the control Argentina might later have over the plant itself.

According to the project, Argentina would cede the land for the construction, operation and subsequent maintenance of the facility for a fixed price of between 20 and 30 years. ?? If we come to an agreement is it to serve both parties, now Argentina has the ball, ??? said the diplomat, who has been in Buenos Aires since 2018 and is considered one of the most trustworthy dignitaries of Putin in Latin America.

Russia is also driving projects in other areas before President Fernández, such as initiatives to reform 550 km of roads and build another 150 km on the route between Bahía Blanca and Vaca Muerta. And for this, according to Feoktistov, Russia would be ready to supply Argentina with the “most modern and most suitable military weapons”.