MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

US Jewish Community honours Kirchner

Argentine president Nestor Kirchner travels this Monday to New York and Washington where he will be honoured by the American Jewish community and participate in a Forum on Argentina organized by the Council of the Americas. However Mr. Kirchner is not scheduled to meet any official from the US President Bush administration.

In New York the American Jewish Committee, AJC, will distinguish Mr. Kirchner for his commitment in combating discrimination and defending human rights.

The American Jewish Committee is particularly thankful with Mr. Kirchner for opening the files and archives on the two anti Jewish attacks in Buenos Aires, in 1992 against the Israeli Embassy, and in 1994 against a local organization that left tens of people killed and maimed.

Next Thursday when the annual AJC dinner Mr. Kirchner could be sharing the main table with US Secretary of State Colin Powell, but his presence has yet to be confirmed.

President Kirchner is also scheduled to visit The New York Times and meet with representatives from US corporations with interests in Argentina.

In Washington Mr. Kirchner will be meeting Interamerican Development Bank President Enrique Iglesias, a most influential man with the multilateral credit organizations and the Bush administration.

Mrs. Kirchner, who is scheduled to join the president in New York, is currently in Atlanta visiting former US president Jimmy Carter.

The official delegation to the US includes Cabinet Chief Alberto Fernandez, Foreign Secretary Rafael Bielsa, Presidential Legal Secretary Carlos Zanini and the chairs of the Senate and Lower House Foreign Affairs Committees, Ramon Puerta and Jorge Arguello