BUENOS AIRES: Israeli President Shimon Peres arrived in Argentina, home to Latin America's biggest Jewish community, Sunday for a two-day visit and meeting with President Cristina Kirchner, just ahead of a planned visit by Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas.

Peres was greeted on arrival here by Foreign Minister Jorge Taiana. He is scheduled to meet Kirchner on Monday.

The 1994 Nobel Peace prize laureate, Peres is the first Israeli president in 20 years to visit Argentina.

Amid stalled peace negotiation in the Middle East, Peres' visit comes only days ahead of Abbas' and coincides with a Palestinian announcement that they plan to ask for United Nations recognition of their independence.

Israel has warned the Palestinians against taking such "unilateral action" saying it would be like taking a step backwards in the decades-long negotiating process.

Kirchner has been pushing for fresh negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, and has condemned Israel's settlement policy in the occupied territories.

During his visit here, Peres is expected to visit a public square erected on the site of the 1992 bombing of the Israeli embassy, as well as the rebuilt Jewish cultural center that was blown up in 1994.

Both attacks killed 107 people and despite years of investigation remain unsolved. Argentina blames the cultural center bombing on Iran and has requested but failed to get the extradition of several Iranian officials for questioning.

The Delegation of Associations of Jewish Argentines said one of Peres' chief reasons for his visit to Argentina was to offset growing Iranian influence in the region.

Peres last week visited Brazil, where Abbas is also scheduled to arrive on Friday.

The Israeli president is also expected to address a gathering of thousands of Jews in a Buenos Aires stadium before he leaves.