Putin Meets US Foes in Venezuela

Local Editor 01-04-2010

Russian Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin, plans to travel to Caracas this week, in order to meet with two of the US biggest foes, Venezuela\'s Hugo Chavez, and Bolivia\'s Evo Morales, and work on energy and arms ties with the two countries.

US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, said that Washington\'s critics were losing force in the region, making it viewed that Putin\'s visit to Latin America comes as a boost.

As Fyodor Lukyanov, editor of the magazine Russia in Global Affairs said," It is always a good chance for Putin to show to the United States that we have a lot of friends all over the world".

Energy, agriculture, and defense, will be the major discussion points in the one-day talks between Putin and Chavez, in addition that energy will also be the center of talks with Morales who will be meeting with Putin in Caracas.

As South America\'s top oil exporter, and member of OPEC oil producers\' cartel, Venezuela seeks funds to help develop its oil deposits, and loans to buy Russian military hardware.

In September, Chavez traveled to Moscow to receive over $2 billion loan for arms, including tanks, and the S-300 advanced anti-aircraft missile.

Also last September Clinton expressed concern over Venezuelan arms purchasing and their potential for starting an arms race in the region

Although the US could attack Venezuela for its oil reserves, Chavez said Moscow and Tehran are helping Venezuela develop its nuclear energy production, not an atomic bomb, to "confront a power crisis".