Russia may launch nuclear cooperation with Venezuela

NOVO-OGARYOVO, Russia: Russia may launch nuclear energy cooperation with Venezuela, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said Thursday during talks with the country's fiercely anti-US leader Hugo Chavez.
 
"We are ready to consider a possibility of cooperation in using nuclear energy," Putin said.

Putin also noted "development of our ties in all spheres," with "new possibilities in energy, high-tech, machine construction and chemicals."

Russian and Venezuelan companies "have good perspectives not only in bilateral sense but also on third markets," Putin stressed, voicing satisfaction at "a launch of a first oil bore in the Gulf of Venezuela due in late October."

The Russian premier also thanked Chavez "for the warm welcome for our strategic aviation airplanes which had spent many days in Venezuela," pledging "realization of all our accords on cooperation between our navies."

"I am ready to discuss our cooperation in military and technical sphere," Putin said, explaining that "Latin America has become an important chain-link in creating a multipolar world, and we will pay more attention to this vector."

In deployments not seen since the Cold War, Russia this month sent two long-range bombers to Venezuela for exercises and has dispatched a flotilla of warships from the Arctic base of Severomorsk to Venezuela, near US waters.

"Today like never before all that you said on the multi-polar world becomes reality. Let us not lose time," Chavez agreed, thanking "dear" Putin for "having invited me to Moscow before winter began."

"The world is fast developping geopolitically," Chavez added.

Chavez's visit comes as Russia's relations with the United States are in a deep chill because of Russia's war with Georgia last month -- a conflict where Chavez was one of the few world leaders to support Moscow.

In the latest sign of closer ties, a Kremlin source said Thursday that Russia had granted Venezuela the one-billion-dollar (682-million-euro) loan to Venezuela to buy Russian arms.

"Russia has taken the decision to grant Venezuela a credit of one billion dollars for implementing programmes in the field of military-technical cooperation," the source said, using diplomatic jargon for arms sales.

Venezuela has been asking for the loan for months, according to Russian media reports.

Venezuela has signed 4.4 billion dollars' (three billion euros') worth of contracts to buy Russian arms since 2005, according to the Kremlin.

It has bought fighter jets, tanks and assault rifles, and the Kommersant daily reported last week that it was planning to purchase anti-aircraft systems, armoured personnel carriers and more combat aircraft.

Chavez could also discuss broader economic cooperation with Russia, including the creation of a Russian-Venezuelan bank and business opportunities for Russian energy giant Gazprom in Venezuela, Kommersant reported.

Trade turnover between the two countries was 1.1 billion dollars (750 million euros) in 2007, more than double that of 2006, the Kremlin said.