BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

19/07/2006

Venezuelan leader Chavez to stop in Russia, Belarus during tour

CORDOBA (Argentina), July 19 (RIA Novosti) - Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez will visit Russia and Belarus during a two-week overseas tour that starts Wednesday.

The Venezuelan leader is expected in Russia on July 25-27. Chavez, an outspoken leader who will be seeking re-election for another term in December, will focus on military cooperation, including possible sales of Sukhoi aircraft to Venezuela.

Military-technical cooperation between Moscow and Caracas has been increasing since Russia's state-controlled arms exporter Rosoboronexport and the Venezuelan government signed contracts on arms supplies in 2005.

The two countries have been negotiating the sales of 24 Su-30MK Flanker C air superiority fighters to replace Venezuelan contingent of U.S. F-16 multi-role fighters after Washington imposed an embargo on arms sales to the country in May.

The U.S. State Department voiced concerns about the prospective purchase of Russia's latest interceptors by Venezuela, whose left-wing president has moved to curb Washington's influence in the region and consolidate ties with other South American nations since he came to power in 1998.

Russia delivered three out of 15 Mi-17 V5 Hip-H multipurpose helicopters to Venezuela in March 2006 and supplied the country with the first 30,000 of 100,000 Kalashnikov assault rifles under a $54 million contract in early June.

The Venezuelan president is also reportedly seeking to build a Kalashnikov factory in his country.

During his tour, Chavez will also make an official visit to Belarus on July 22-24 at the invitation of President Alexander Lukashenko, the Belarusian Foreign Ministry said Monday.

It will be the first meeting between the two countries' presidents. Last October, Venezuela's foreign minister visited Belarus, also meeting with the Belarusian leader. In 2005, Belarus' trade with Venezuela was worth $15.6 billion.

Other legs of Chavez's tour will include Brazil, Argentina, Iran and Vietnam.

Source:

http://en.rian.ru/world/20060719/51546892.html

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