Medvedev, Chavez visit Russian warships at Venezuela port

[XXPANTHAXX]

Friday, November 28
LA GUAIRA, Venezuela

(AFP)--Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Thursday visited Russian
warships in a Venezuelan port with President Hugo Chavez, giving a
symbolic kickstart to joint maneuvers in the US backyard.

Medvedev arrived in Caracas late Wednesday and was due to travel to
communist Cuba later Thursday, the last stop in a four-nation trip.

The Russian leader's tour sought to boost Cold War-era ties with
left-leaning countries and was seen as a rebuff to US moves in formally
Communist-ruled parts of Europe, such as planned missile defense
facilities.

Hundreds of white-clad navy forces welcomed the two leaders in the
blazing Venezuelan sunshine in the northern port of La Guiara for the
symbolic start of exercises with Russian warships not seen in the region
since the Cold War.

Medvedev and strong US-critic Chavez toured destroyer "Admiral
Chabanenko," as Chavez joked to reporters from the deck: "We're going to
Cuba!"

They also signed a pre-accord for the sale of two Russian passenger
planes.

The two leaders vowed closer cooperation to establish what they called a
"multi-polar" world after signing a string of deals the previous night,
including on a project to build a joint nuclear reactor for peaceful
purposes.

Officials also signed a deal on cooperation in the fossil fuel sector,
aimed at stepping up existing exploration projects in Venezuela by
companies such as Russian energy giant Gazprom.

The fiercely anti-liberal Chavez also denounced what he called the
"dictatorship of the dollar" after announcing efforts to move away from
dollar transactions in trade with Russia.

Chavez and a handful of leftist Latin American leaders agreed Wednesday
to create a joint monetary zone to confront the international financial
crisis and reduce dollar dependency.

Although Russia and Venezuela signed no new arms deals, Medvedev
defended Russia's growing arms sales to Venezuela -- criticized by the
United States and neighbor Colombia as potentially destabilizing -- and
said military cooperation with firebrand leftist Chavez would continue.

The two countries have signed 4.4 billion dollars in bilateral arms
deals since 2005, including radars, 24 Sukhoi-30 planes, 50 helicopters
and 100,000 Kalashnikovs.

Russian military cooperation with Venezuela "is not a market
relationship or aimed at any other state but is based on partnership,"
Medvedev said.

The warship maneuvers, dubbed "VenRus 2008" and including some 1,600
Russian forces and 700 Venezuelans, are due to take place between
December 1 and 3.

"This is against no one, we're practicing our right. And we'll keep
working with Russia on strategic defense," Chavez said ahead of the
exercises.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said that the arrival of Russian
ships could hardly reflect a change in the regional power balance.

"A few Russian ships is not going to change the balance of power," she
said.

Some analysts also detected an element of bluff in the Russian moves,
saying that the economic crisis was likely to hinder Russian plans such
as possible involvement in a South American gas pipeline.

Others have criticized the timing of Russia's show of defiance given a
wave of international goodwill towards the United States after Barack
Obama won the country's presidential election.


Thursday, November 27, 2008
17:39 Mecca time, 14:39 GMT

Medvedev and Chavez in nuclear deal

Chavez says US 'hegemony' was the source of global
'catastrophes'

Russia and Venezuela's leaders have signed a deal for Moscow to help the
South American country to build a nuclear energy plant, during a visit
to Caracas by Dmitry Medvedev, Russia's president.

Medvedev and Hugo Chavez, Venezuela's president, also vowed to work
together to establish what they called a "multi-polar" world and agreed
to continue arms deals between the two countries.

Sergei Kiriyenko, the head of Rosatom, the Russian atomic energy
corporation, said Venezuela had the right to peaceful nuclear energy and
had given no cause for "questions" about its fitness for nuclear energy.

Officials said they had also signed an agreement on co-operation in the
fossil fuel sector, aimed at stepping up existing exploration projects
in Venezuela by Russian energy companies such as Gazprom.

Military co-operation

Chavez greeted Medvedev at an elaborate event in the Venezuelan capital
on Wednesday.

The welcoming ceremony featured scarlet-clad soldiers carrying spears,
in a courtyard decorated with palm trees, fountains and statues of
classical gods and dolphins.

Following talks between the two men, Medvedev said military co-operation
between the two countries would continue.

Russia has been a major arms supplier to Venezuela, providing radars,
fighter jets, helicopters and tens of thousands of Kalashnikov rifles.

Medvedev defended the arms sales, which have been criticised by the US
and Colombia as potentially destabilising for the region.

The Russian president said military co-operation with Venezuela "is not
a market relationship or aimed at any other state but is based on
partnership... It should strengthen multi-polarity in the world
including in South America and Latin America".

'Dollar dictatorship'

Meanwhile, Chavez said US "hegemony" was the source of global
"catastrophes".

He denounced what he called the "dictatorship of the dollar" and
announced efforts to move away from dollar transactions in future trade
deals with Russia.

"We should fight to make a world of catastrophes caused by hegemony and
unilateralism a thing of the past," Chavez said.

Medvedev and Chavez went on to dine with leaders of several South and
Central American countries, some of which have formed an economic group
designed to counterbalance US influence in the region.

Medvedev is set to inspect Russian warships that arrived in Venezuela
this week to carry out exercises in the Caribbean Sea close to US
waters.

His visit is part of a tour aimed at revitalising Russia's Cold War-era
ties with left-leaning countries in Latin America and is seen as a
counter to US moves in Eastern Europe where Washington is introducing a
missile defence system.

Medvedev earlier visited Brazil, which announced it had agreed to buy 12
attack helicopters from Russia.

Source: Agencies


Raúl receives President Medvedev

PRESIDENT Raúl Castro received Dimitri A. Medvedev, president of the
Russian Federation on Thursday afternoon at the Palace of the
Revolution, shortly after his arrival in Cuba on a working visit.

In an initially private meeting, the two leaders discussed the progress
of bilateral relations and shared opinions on various issues of general
interest.

Both subsequently moved on head official talks that took place in an
atmosphere of friendship, comprehension and mutual respect that
characterizes relations between the two countries, reflecting the long
and solid fraternity between the Cuban and Russian peoples.

Raúl and Medvedev agreed on the importance of continuing to develop
links in different fields, the economic one in particular, on the basis
of shared benefit, and exchanged views on the international situation;
in particular, the current world economic crisis and its consequences.

The Cuban president expressed thanks for Russian aid after three
hurricanes struck the island within a space of just two months.

For his part, Medvedev ratified the disposition of the Russian people,
government and business sector to increase their participation in the
development of the Cuban economy.

Also present at the meeting were José Ramón Machado Ventura, first vice
president; Ricardo Cabrisas Ruiz, vice president of the Council of
Ministers; Igor Sechin, vice president of the Russian Federation; and
Serguey E. Prikhodko, President Medvedev’s advisor; and other senior
Cuban and Russian officials.

Translated by Granma International


Evo Morales condemns Bush government decision against Bolivia

LA PAZ, November 27.— Bolivian President Evo Morales today described as
"political revenge" the U.S. government’s decision to exclude his
country from unilaterally conditioned tariff benefits related to
combating drug trafficking.

"What we are seeing is an attempt to terrify the Bolivian people and
trample on their dignity," stated the president during a press
conference at the Government Palace, and described the arguments put
forward by the White House to justify the measure as "false".

The previous day, U.S. President George W. Bush announced the indefinite
exclusion of the Andean nation from the aforementioned commercial
instrument - Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act (ATPDEA) –
charging Bolivia of failing to combat drug trafficking.

During the last 11 months, Bolivia has already seized 27 tons of
cocaine, three times more than the total retained in 2005, prior to
Evo’s victory in the presidential elections.

These elements confirm the criterion of political revenge, Evo affirmed,
also reiterating Bolivia’s commitment to the international community
with respect to this blight.

FAIR TRADE AGREEMENTS

Businesspeople from Bolivia and Venezuela initiated in this city the
close of contracts signed this month during a trade forum, developed as
an alternative to U.S. obstacles to exports from the Andean nation.

The state Suministros Venezolanos Industriales (SUVINCA) company and
Bolivian producers are to organize the purchase and sale of Bolivian
items such as clothing, textiles, timber and jewelry to a value of $47
million, agreed during the 1st Bilateral Round of Exchange and
Integration, according to PL.

[Sourakhata]

Though I absolutely don't have the slightest trust in Medvedev/Poutine Russia, coalition are needed to counter US destructive domination in South America.

Thursday it'll be Chavez's 10th anniversary as President of Venezuela, it has been 10 years of blessings for his people and a strong international voice on the behalf of all the oppressed worldwide. Hugo is the one!