President Hugo Chávez arrived Wednesday in Moscow on the eve of the initialization of several agreements to purchase Su-30 warplanes from Russia and to build a manufacturing plant of AK-130 Kalashnikov assaults rifles and their ammunition in Venezuela, in a move that has been under harsh criticism by the United States.

A few hours following his arrival in Moscow, Chávez thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for his resistance to Washington pressures to cancel the pact. The Russian Defense Ministry categorically stated that the agreements with Venezuela would be initialed, despite US objections.

"I would like to thank President Putin for his determination to cooperate with the enhancement of the Venezuelan security system," Chávez said upon his arrival in Moscow-based Vnukovo airport, as quoted by AP.

"Thanks to President Vladimir Putin's determination we have crushed the US empire attempts at disarming Venezuela. They are bombing entire cities in Iraq, and at the same time they are criticizing Venezuela moves to buy defensive weapons. The US cannot claim the moral ground on this issue. Russian supply of weapons to Venezuela is provided for under the international laws."

On Thursday, Chávez is to initial a USD 1 billion agreement to purchase 30 Su-30 warplanes and 30 helicopters.