Argentina's president has pledged to deepen ties with Venezuela after snubbing a US diplomatic effort to counter the influence of left-wing Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in South America.
President Nestor Kirchner offered wholehearted support to Mr Chavez less than two weeks after meeting with top US State Department officials who expressed concern that the Venezuelan leader was moving his country toward authoritarianism.
"It cannot be that it bothers anyone that our nations become integrated," Mr Kirchner said during a one-day visit to Venezuela in which the two countries signed a series of economic co-operation agreements.
In a visit partly seen as an attempt to counter president Mr Chavez, President Bush plans to travel to several Latin American countries next month, including Brazil, Uruguay, Colombia, Guatemala and Mexico.
Last year, president Mr Chavez called Mr Bush the "devil" in a speech to the United Nations.
The Argentine leader called Mr Chavez a "brother and a friend" and said his country would keep nurturing ties with Venezuela. Argentine officials signed a series of accords, including pledges to help Venezuela develop its farming industry and explore for oil.
Argentina and Venezuela have also agreed to jointly issue a new "Bond of the South" for $1.5 billion, on top of $1 billion in bonds issued together by the two countries last year.
During a visit to Argentina earlier this month, US Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns said the United States could work with left-leaning governments like Argentina and Brazil but that Venezuela was "another matter."
"They have failed and will fail - the travellers from the North who are coming to the South to try to divide us, to sow discord," Mr Chavez said.
AP