Medvedev says Venezuela key partner of Russia

2009-09-10 23:59:11  

    MOSCOW, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) --

Venezuela is becoming an important partner of Russia and Moscow highly values its cooperation with the Latin American country, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said here on Thursday.

    Medvedev said during talks with his Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chavez that the development of relations between Russia and Latin American countries had become crucial and Venezuela was a key partner in this respect.

    Chavez, who is on a two-day visit to Russia, said the unipolar world "has been destroyed."

    "I remember that 10 years ago we were walking here with then President Vladimir Putin, discussing the creation of a multi-polar world. This time has come already, and the multi-polar world does exist," Chavez was quoted as saying by Itar-Tass news agency.

    During the meeting at a Russian presidential residence near Moscow, Chavez announced that Venezuela was recognizing Georgia's breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states.

    Venezuela is the third country to recognize the independence of the two regions after Russia and Nicaragua.

    At a joint press conference after their talks, Medvedev said military cooperation was an integral part of the bilateral ties and he pledged to continue arms supplies to Venezuela and, in the meantime, shoulder due international obligations.

    The Russian president also said military-technology cooperation aimed at fighting drug trafficking and organized and trans-border crime should not be politicized.

    After the meeting, the two countries signed about 10 arms and energy documents without giving details of the military agreement.

    Under an energy deal, Venezuela's state oil company, PdVSA, and a consortium of major Russian producers are to establish a joint venture to develop the Junin-6 field in Venezuela's Orinoco heavy crude belt.

    Chavez arrived in Moscow on Wednesday after concluding a visit to Belarus. This is his eighth visit to Russia.

Editor: Yan

Chavez and Putin meet in Novo-Ogaryovo

NOVO-OGARYOVO, September 10, 2009

 (ITAR-TASS)  -

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has said he is satisfied with progress in cooperation between Russia and Venezuela.

In his opening remarks at the enlarged format talks with Venezuela’s visiting President Hugo Chavez he said that the overall amount (of cooperation – Itar-Tass) was not very big yet, but progress was tangible.

Putin said he had in mind cooperation in the energy sphere. Also, he pointed to good opportunities in electric power production and the development of infrastructures.

Separately, the Russian prime minister touched upon cooperation in the military-technological sphere, adding, though, that it was not the main determining factor.

“We are glad our Venezuelan counterparts and friends are satisfied with cooperation in this sensitive sphere,” Putin said.

Earlier in the day a large number of agreements between the two countries was signed, and all of them where quite meaningful. He thanked the chiefs of Russian and Venezuelan agencies who did a good job to make arrangements for Chavez’s visit.

“Practically every month there were contacts, there was very right and professional work to draft each single agreement,” Putin said. “There are some major projects extending far beyond the bounds of bilateral relations, they concern the development of major deposits and supplies billions of dollars worth.”

Putin recalled that the Venezuelan side scrupulously tracked all agreements and pressed for its interests.

“On each issue mutually acceptable agreements were achieved,” he said.