MOSCOW, December 18. /TASS/. Russia welcomes the election of Chile's new President, Jose Antonio Kast, and is ready to maintain a constructive dialogue with the republic based on equality and mutual respect, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.
"We welcome the free and democratic will expressed by the Chilean people in the presidential elections," the diplomat emphasized. Zakharova added that Russia and Chile have been linked by decades of friendship, solidarity, and cooperation.
"We value the principled position of the elected president, which is to base state policy on common sense, pragmatism, and a departure from ideological constraints for the benefit of all Chilean society," the diplomat noted. "Russia is prepared to maintain a constructive dialogue with Chile based on equality, mutual respect, consideration of national interests, and adherence to the traditional values shared by our peoples."
Zakharova also said that Russia has much to offer Chile. "Drawing on our own experience in developing vast territories, we see significant potential for cooperation in infrastructure development, particularly in the energy, transportation, and communications sectors," the diplomat concluded.
On December 14, Chile held the second round of its presidential election, in which Kast, representing the conservative Republican Party of Chile, took 58% of the vote. The politician advocates for reducing state intervention in the economy and implementing stricter measures to combat crime and illegal migration, which public opinion surveys identify as the country's most pressing problems. He has promised to lower corporate tax rates, reduce public spending, and construct barriers on the border with Bolivia. Kast will become Chile's first far-right leader since the military regime of General Augusto Pinochet. He opposes euthanasia, abortion, divorce, and same-sex marriage.