MEXICO: Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, Argentine presidential candidate and first lady discusses bilateral relations while in Mexico

Argentine senator, presidential candidate and first lady Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has commented on relations between Argentina and Mexico while accompanying her husband on an official visit to Mexico. Argentine presidential candidate, Senator Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner - also Argentina's first lady - spoke on Tuesday (July 31) in general terms about her vision for Latin America while accompanying her husband on an official visit to Mexico. Fernandez spoke during a lunch meeting at the Argentine Embassy. She is likely to win in the first round of October's presidential election despite recent government setbacks, according to opinion polls and political analysts' comments published on Sunday (July 29). A powerful senator, Fernandez has drawn more than 40 percent of voter support for months, although corruption allegations against government officials, along with energy shortages and inflation, are hurting her politically. Mexico and Argentina have a similar vision of how to tackle Latin American and world problems, Sen. Cristina Fernandez said, when she spoke on Tuesday. "There is a common vision of Latin America and world problems and how to tackle in a similar way as well between both countries, the challenges that this 21st century represents," she said. Fernandez also referred to an agreement to improve strategic relations signed by Mexico and Argentina on Monday (July 31). "To develop a strategy that has to do with our cultural, economic, social and political projections and I mention political at the end because politics summarises everything else," she said. Argentine newspaper Clarin published three polls on Sunday (July 29) showing Fernandez with between 44 percent and 47.8 percent support, while her two closest contenders attracted between 8.4 percent and 18.1 percent. Clarin did not specify the dates of the surveys or the sample sizes.

ITN Source | August 1, 2007

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