MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Kirchner in Chile.

Argentine presidential candidate and front runner for the coming May 18th run off Nestor Kirchner arrived Thursday evening in Chile, and will be meeting Chilean president Ricardo Lagos this Friday morning.

Mr. Kirchner travelled directly from Brazil where he met with president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and outlined his policies for a future Argentine government, if he's finally elected as public opinion polls clearly suggest.

The Patagonian province of Santa Cruz governor said his aim was a robust integration of Mercosur, particularly with two countries that he considers essential for Argentina, Brazil and Chile, plus the creation of a strong Latinamerican political space.

On arriving in Santiago Mr. Kirchner avoided responding to questions regarding remarks from his rival, former president Carlos Menem, who depicted the tour of neighbouring countries as "absurd triumphalism".

Mr. Kirchner whose mother is Chilean and comes from a family long established in Punta Arenas shared dinner with relatives in Santiago and later headed for the Argentine Embassy, his official residence while in Chile.

As in Brazil the presidential hopeful is expected to outline the main policies of a future Kirchner administration, insisting specifically in a closer link between Chile and Mercosur.

In Buenos Aires Mr. Menem said he wasn't concerned about the meetings with presidents Lula and Lagos, but rather with the weakness of a future Kirchner administration.

"I fear Mr. Kirchner may not end his mandate, because the people could once again react violently as they did in December 2001 when they forced the downfall of elected president Fernando De la Rúa", stressed Mr. Menem.

The former president insisted in identifying Mr. Kirchner as the "errand boy" of caretaker president Eduardo Duhalde's, whom he accused of masterminding the riots and "institutional coup" that toppled president De la Rúa in December 2001.