Russia and Chile to Boost Trade and Economic Cooperation

Russia and Chile are going to create an intergovernmental commission for trade and economic development, according to an announcement today by the Russian President's press office. After talks with his Chilean counterpart Ricardo Lagos, President Putin remarked that there were excellent prospects for collaborative work in the spheres of high technology, space research and atomic energy, as well as in the non-ferrous metallurgy, mining, energy and transport sectors.

At the meeting, the Russian and Chilean Presidents stressed the 'importance of finding a lasting peace in the Middle East in accordance with the norms of international law, UN Security Council resolutions and the principles of the 1991 Madrid conference'. This view is included in a joint statement issued today at the end of the Moscow talks. The heads of state also noted the 'importance of continuing the disarmament process, especially nuclear disarmament, in strict accordance with all previous agreements and treaties in this sphere.

The document notes that it is now 'particularly important not to allow a legal vacuum to develop in the strategic stability sphere, as this could lead to the breakdown of programmes to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction'. The most important mechanism for supporting strategic stability is seen by Russia and Chile as the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.