Chavez Hails Strategic Alliance with Russia
Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez on Wednesday called Russia and China “strategic” allies, promising to visit Moscow soon and talk to his “friend Vladimir Putin”. Hugo Chavez may as well take with him lucrative proposals for Russian oil companies. The Venezuelan leaders also said that Vladimir Putin tried to prevent a coup that briefly ousted him in 2002.
Hugo Chavez weighed in on a row between Washington and Moscow over U.S. plans to deploy its anti-missile defense facilities in Eastern Europe, and praised Russian President Vladimir Putin for strongly opposing it.
“In Russia there is a leader of courage speaking clearly for the good of humanity,” Venezuela’s leader said, calling the U.S. missile shield an “irrational” idea that revealed the “hegemonic intentions” of the United States.
The Venezuelan president, who accuses the United States of backing the 2002 coup against him, said Vladimir Putin had tried to help him at the time. “I remember the efforts by Vladimir before the coup of 2002 because they knew many things,” Chavez said, but did not specify the efforts.
“We’ve found in Russia a real strategic ally like in China and many other countries too,” Hugo Chavez said, adding he would try to make room in his agenda to visit Moscow. Talks with Russia will focus on energy as well as arms exports, according to the Venezuelan president.
Venezuela has already fostered ties with Russia through military deals worth $3 billion.
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All the Article in Russian as of June 08, 2007
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