MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Kirchner: Bush gave me “unconditional” support for recovery plan.

Argentine President Nestor Kirchner said Wednesday that he had received from U.S. counterpart George W. Bush “unconditional” support for his country's economic recovery and for the Argentine stance in negotiations with the IMF.

"We found open support, determined and unconditional support from the president for the recovery process we are seeing through in Argentina, truly without any type of conditions," Kirchner said after an Oval Office meeting.

He said that the commitment of the United States goes beyond support for negotiations with the International Monetary Fund, with which Buenos Aires is negotiating a three-year loan agreement to avoid defaulting on its debts to multilateral lenders. Argentina stopped making repayments to private creditors in December 2001.

This is Kirchner's first visit to Washington since he took over as president and his purpose is "to show that he is a strong leader with a credible (economic) growth program," said Eric Farnsworth, vice president of the Council of the Americas business association.

The Argentine economy is showing signs of recovery, after shrinking 11.3 percent in 2002, with an 18.8 percent unemployment rate, but foreign investors and the United States expect Argentina to implement a program that will ensure long-term growth.

In his two-day visit, the Argentine president, traveling with Economy Minister Roberto Lavagna, attempted to rebuild confidence in his country, but significantly, he did not meet with IMF or World Bank officials. Farnsworth described this as "shrewd" politics.

"He thus avoids showing himself asking for IMF support," he told to the press. "In Argentina this is good, it signals power." Kirchner also wants closer links with the United States, after the "carnal" relationship - as former President Carlos Menem called it at the end of the 1990s - ended in divorce.