The Argentine Foreign Ministrysent a second request to Chile on Thursday for extraditing former President Carlos Menem, diplomatic sources said.

The request will be delivered to the Chilean Foreign Ministry early Friday.

Argentina sent its first extradition request on April 29, whichhas been examined by the Supreme Court of Chile since then.

However, the extradition process is expected to last at least one year.

The 73-year-old Menem, who served as Argentine president from 1989 to 1999, is now living in neighboring Chile with his Chilean wife and a newly born son.

Argentine Judge Jorge Urso has issued two international warrants for the arrest of the former president after Menem failedto appear in court for four times in an ongoing probe into chargesof corruption and embezzlement against him.

Menem refused to return to Argentina, saying he would get an unfair trial.

Source: Xinhua