As a Russian naval fleet makes its way to South America, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin vowed that he would make Latin America a “top foreign policy priority.” During a state visit of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to Moscow, Putin emphasized the importance of Latin America to the Russian government:"Latin America is becoming a noticeable link in the chain of the multi-polar world that is forming," Putin said at his suburban residence at the start of his talks with Chavez. "We will pay more and more attention to this vector of our economic and foreign policy."
Chavez' visit to Russia was his second in two months; this time around, the Russians offered Chavez a $1 billion loan for the purchase of arms. (Venezuela has already spent over $4 billion buying Russian weapons according to the Kremlin). Both governments also signed an energy agreement that would allow for “an oil and gas consortium between (Venezuelan state-oil firm) PDVSA and (Russian gas giant) Gazprom.”
Chavez had previously visited China where he signed several energy deals with the government in Beijing. One of the agreements, for example, will allow for increased oil exports from Venezuelan to fuel the ever-growing Chinese economy.
Image- AFP
Sources- The Latin Americanist, Bloomberg, AP, IHT, The Telegraph, Times of India
1 comment:
Hugo Chavez is a small time, low life thug, who unfortunately has oil. If he runs into problems with Russia, or China, they will chew him up and spit him out ... and, he'll wish he had continued working with the U.S.A.. In the mean time this situation reinforces our need for energy independence. We should drill off shore now, while we continue to develop ALL alternative sources of energy. This would also be a good time for Chavez loving traitors, like Danny Glover, Kevin Spacey, Sean Penn, and Naomi Campbell, to stay out of the U.S.A., and move to Venezuela.
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