Venezuela's Chavez pursues arms deals in Russia, Belarus (Roundup)

Jul 25, 2006, 19:58 GMT

Moscow/Minsk - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez arrived in Russia on Tuesday to seal a deal to buy weapons he believes his country needs to protect against what he claims are US plans to occupy his country.

US-Venezuelan relations have badly deteriorated over the last several years, but the United States has dismissed as absurd Chavez' allegations that the United States wants to invade Venezuela.

Chavez began the three-day visit in the southern city of Volgograd before travelling to the military rifle-producing centre of Izhevsk and then to Moscow for talks with President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday or Thursday.

Cooperation in oil and gas exploration is another key topic. Chavez is due to meet with Russian oil company representatives to discuss construction of the world's longest pipeline running 8,000 kilometres across South America.

Speaking earlier Tuesday in the Belarusian capital Minsk, Chavez said his country had 'to keep a sword handy' to defend itself and would enter into new strategic alliances for the same purpose. Before flying to Russia, Chavez visited Belarus, which is considered the last authoritarian state in Europe.

Russia and Venezuela have signed contracts on the supply of more than 100,000 AK-103 rifles, a modification of the AK-47 assault weapon, and on licensed production in Venezuela of the rifles and ammunition. According to Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov, Caracas will also buy 30 Sukhoi Su-30 fighter-bombers and 30 military helicopters in a deal worth more than 1 billion US dollars.

The United States has lodged a formal protest with Russia over the possible sale, which it fears could upset the balance of power in South America. Russia rejected the objections as groundless, stressing that the deals with Venezuela do not break international law.

In Washington, US State Department deputy spokesman Tom Casey reiterated US concerns over the sale and suggested the money could be better used to improve the lives of Venezuelans. He urged the Russians to reconsider any potential deals for weapons contracts.

'We repeatedly talked to the Russian government (to say) that the arms purchases planned by Venezuela exceeded its defensive needs and are not helpful in terms of regional stability,' Casey said.

'Given the fact that this aircraft costs between 30 million (dollars) and 45 million (dollars) each, depending on which model you're talking about, kind of raises some questions about Venezuela's priorities,' he added.

Chavez' socialist government also aims to arm and train up to 2 million Venezuelans against a potential incursion.

The Venezuelan leader used his three-day visit to Minsk, in Belarus, as a backdrop for further vociferous attacks on Washington, using Communist-era phrases now heard rarely in the former Soviet republic.

'The national projects of our countries are aimed at creating a multipolar world and are directed towards the destruction of imperialism, which tries to create a unipolar world,' Chavez said in a speech at a Belarusian military academy.

'Countries like Venezuela and Belarus must keep their hands on their sword,' he added. 'America has tried to close off our countries ... with its hegemony and imperialism.'

The two states, both antagonistic to the West and targets of US diplomatic isolation efforts, have formed a 'strategic alliance,' Chavez declared. Military trade would form a key part of relations between the two states.

Chavez gave no details on a military cooperation agreement reached in Belarus. The deal would begin with sales of spare parts to service Venezuelan military equipment, a Belarusian Foreign Ministry official said on Monday.

From Russia Chavez plans to visit Iran, Mali, Qatar and Vietnam.