Russia Builds up Contacts with Venezuela Navy

Rosoboronexport, Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, hosted the first international naval exhibition “Exponaval Venezuela Internacional'2005” on August 24-27, in the context of preparations for a re-equipment program of the Venezuelan Navy.  
 
As part of those preparations, the Top Management of the Navy is actively communicating with naval equipment suppliers, potential partners for the national shipbuilding sector, as well as investors. A number of conferences on relevant subjects are envisaged as part of the event, as well as presentation of the “investment portfolio”.  
 
Cooperation in the naval area between Russia and Venezuela is a relatively new development, but it took an active start and seems to promise a good potential in some specific areas. During the first visit in Moscow of President Chavez in 2001, the first agreement for military and technical cooperation (MTC) was signed, which provided a legal base needed for such cooperation. Four years later, in March and June 2005, Rosoboronexport and the Ministry for Defense of Venezuela signed major contracts for the supply of helicopter hardware into Venezuela.  
 
The first supply of helicopters will be shipped towards the end of this year. In May, Rosoboronexport signed a contract to supply 100,000 Kalashnikovs of the latest modification to Caracas. Talks are under way for the supply of other types of armaments and equipment.  
 
The emerging cooperation between the Venezuelan Navy and Russian shipbuilders seems therefore quite a logical trend against the background of above mentioned developments.  
 
Russia is a recognized leader in the world shipbuilding industry, capable to produce combat vessels and auxiliary ships of all classes, develop all types of naval armaments and technical hardware. High standards of R&D in the shipbuilding technologies and design concepts, solid production base, high level of expertise of the personnel involved in that area, vast experience in conducting foreign economic activities in that field, enable Russia to maintain leadership among the world exporters of naval equipment and armaments.  
 
More than 2,000 surface combat vessels of the main types have been supplied by Russia over the last half century, as well as submarines, patrol and rocket launching boats. In patrol boat supplies Russia has surpassed all major ship building nations of the world, including USA, UK, Germany and France.  
 
Naval equipment has been gaining importance in the structure of Russia's export of armaments in recent years. The 2004 results show a share of 24% now occupied by the exports of naval equipment in the total armaments and equipment exports of Russia, which in that year totaled over $5.1 bn. It is expected that this year that share will be at least doubled.  
 
In accordance with the decision of the Government of the Russian Federation, Rosoboronexport