Politics

Russia's state corporation Rosoboronexport, an exporter of arms, said on Wednesday that Russia and Venezuela are ready to sign within one month a contract to deliver third generation BMP-3 armored personnel carriers.

"The direction of the military-technical cooperation with Venezuela is going vertically up," Igor Sevastyanov, deputy general director of Rosoboronexport arms exporter, was quoted as saying by Interfax.

He added that both countries are holding discussions on sales of multiple rocket launching systems and artillery, EFE reported.

Sevastyanov stressed that such agreements would result in Russian-Venezuelan military cooperation increasing considerably.

Russian Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin, promised Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez, during their meeting last September 25 in Moscow, that he would deliver new weapons to the South American country.