EL UNIVERSAL

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez Thursday afternoon arrived in Doha, Qatar, where he is meeting with Emir Hamad ibn Khalifa al Thani, following his three-day visit to Russia, where he entered into a sales agreement to purchase 24 warplanes and 53 military choppers.

The sales agreement, which also provide for maintenance services and training of Venezuelan pilots, "exceed USD 3 billion in 18 months," said Klerim Serguei Chemezov, director of Russian weapon export agency Rosoboronexport, but he would not elaborate on the aircraft model sold.

However, Chávez previously told reporters he was purchasing "a number of Sukhoi Su-30 warplanes, helicopters, rifles and other defense equipment." The first Russian warplanes are arriving in Venezuela "before the end of this year," the Venezuelan ruler claimed.

According to sources in the Russian Defense Ministry, Venezuela is considering future purchase of antiaircraft TOR-M1 systems, patrol boats and Amur submarines, Efe reported.

Chávez branded the sales agreement he signed on Thursday as "an extraordinary headway in technical military cooperation."

"Russia has helped us in the face of a purported embargo on us," said Chávez following a meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, who made attempts at reassuring the United States in connection with the deal. "Cooperation between Russia and Venezuela does not aim at third countries and it is only targeted on benefiting both countries' economies and raise their peoples' living standards," Efe reported.

Further, Putin expressed Russia support to Venezuela "legitimate aspiration" to occupy a seat at the United Nations Security Council as a non-permanent member.
 
Both leaders vowed to reinforce bilateral energy cooperation and agreed to incorporate Russian oil holding Lukoil and firm Gazprom to gas and oil drilling in Venezuela. Gazprom is also to participate in the construction of the southern gas pipeline linking Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay.

Translated by Maryflor Suárez R.