MOSCOW, October 25. /TASS/. Russia and Argentina are committed to close and constructive cooperation on both the bilateral basis and within the UN and the Group of Twenty (G20), Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday opening the exhibition of archival materials of the Russian and Argentine Foreign Ministries to mark 150 years of consular relations between the two countries.

"Today, relations between Russia and Argentina have reached the level of comprehensive strategic partnership," the minister said. "We note mutual willingness to continue close constructive interaction in a variety of formats, both through bilateral channels and on multilateral platforms, above all, in the UN and the Group of Twenty, with Argentina taking over as G20 chair next year."

According to Russia’s top diplomat, contacts between the two countries’ capitals, primarily in the humanitarian sphere, are developing steadily. "Some very important agreements were reached by the decision of the authorities in Buenos Aires and Moscow. Russian Federation Square was solemnly unveiled in Buenos Aires a month ago, while Argentine Republic Park will appear in Moscow soon," Lavrov noted.

"We are glad that the geographical distance is not an obstacle for contacts between people, for tourist flows, which are growing. An agreement on visa-free travel for our citizens, which we signed in 2009, contributes to their growth in the future," he went on to say. "I am confident that next year we will have the pleasure of welcoming a large group of Argentine fans who will come to support their team at the World Cup," the minister said.

"The peoples in our two countries are bound by close ties of friendship, trust and mutual respect. All that is a very favorable basis for the cultural interpenetration," Lavrov stressed.

For his part, Argentine Ambassador to Russia, Ricardo Lagorio, noted that "bilateral ties between Argentina and Russia are essential." "We are opening the door for new meetings, and contacts between our countries’ leaders are particularly important," the diplomat stressed. "Exchanges in trade and culture are likewise very important."