ABSTRACT
Introduction Russia recently has intensified its relations with Latin American countries, with more Russian companies investing in the region. In 2008, after the visit of former President Dmitry Medvedev to Peru, Brazil, Venezuela, and Cuba, many experts argued that Russia had returned to Latin America and would compete in this market (Koval 2009). The financial crisis of 2008-9 limited the growth of ties. Nevertheless, the visit of incumbent President Vladimir Putin to Cuba, Nicaragua, Argentina, and Brazil in 2014 re-confirmed Russia’s strategic interest in expanding its presence in Latin America (Davydov 2014). Moreover, the Ukrainian crisis has strengthened the necessity for both the Russian Government and Russian businesses to broaden cooperation with non-traditional partners. The recognition of this was reflected in the official visit of former Argentine President Cristina Kirchner to Russia in April 2015, when a number of notable agreements establishing a strategic partnership between the countries were signed.
