Chavez arrives in Moscow on official visit for talks with RF leaders

14.10.2010, 14.52

MOSCOW, October 14 (Itar-Tass) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez arrived in Moscow on a two-day official visit on Thursday for talks with Russia’s leaders on plans for cooperation till 2014.

The talks will focus on a wide range of issues regarding Russian-Venezuelan cooperation, including interaction in the energy sector, the military-technical field and housing.

During the visit, the Venezuelan president will have talks with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. After the meetings and talks both parties will sign a plan of action, which will lay the foundation for the development of cooperation till 2014.

The document envisions concrete directions of interaction in such areas as foreign policy, finances, the oil and gas sector, the military-technical field, atomic energy, telecommunications, agriculture, fisheries, transport, education, healthcare, tourism, culture, and emergency management cooperation.

Chavez said on Wednesday that his visit to Russia “is aimed at further expanding and strengthening strategic partnership with Moscow”. “Today Russia is a great power. We are planning to sign documents on the creation of a Russian-Venezuelan bank.” The bank will be headquartered in Moscow and its office will be located in China and Venezuela, Chavez said.

The bank will be set up with authorized capital of four billion U.S. dollars on the base of Eurofinance Mosnarbank. Russia will have 51 percent of shares.

Another important issue will be nuclear energy, the Venezuelan president said. “First projects are being worked out to build a nuclear power plant in Venezuela,” Chavez noted.

Moscow will also help Caracas build social housing. Several plants will be constructed in the Venezuelan capital and other regions to manufacture concrete poles, he said.

During the visit, all agreements on military-technical cooperation with Russia “will be studied”, Chavez stressed. He said, “New hardware, several tank battalions and air defence equipment will be supplied to Venezuela by the end of this year and in the beginning of 2011.”

Chavez’s foreign tour also includes trips to Belarus, Ukraine, Iran, Syria and Portugal.