Venezuelan President to visit Moscow, bilateral deals to be signed
Moscow, June 18: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez will make a three-day visit to Moscow on June 28, during which bilateral deals on diesel submarines and air defence systems are expected to be signed.
Venezuela was planning to buy up to 10 modern diesel submarines and several Tor-M1 air defence missile complexes from Russia, RIA Novosti news agency reported today, quoting a source.
During his visit, Mr Chavez could finalise a deal to purchase Russian diesel submarines for the Venezuelan Navy, leading Russian business daily Kommersant said last week.
The contract reportedly is for the supply of five Project 636 Kilo-class diesel submarines and four state-of-the-art Project 677 Amur submarines.
''Most likely, Venezuela will buy five Project 636 submarines with missile systems but it could end up buying nine submarines,'' said Konstantin Makiyenko, Deputy Director of the Center for the Analysis of Strategies and Technologies (CAST).
The multi-billion dollar contract could be split into two or three parts, and include construction of submarine bases and training of submarine crews, Mr Makiyenko said.
The future deal would not be limited to procurement of submarines, but could include the purchase of advanced Tor-M1 air defence missile systems, he added.
''It might be a multiple-deal contract and in addition to submarines Venezuela will purchase Tor-M1 systems,'' Mr Makiyenko said, adding that Venezuela has long been seeking to acquire coastal anti-ship and air defence complexes ''that the country desperately needs at present.'' Venezuela has reportedly been pursuing modernisation of its naval fleet and coastal defences to counter a possible US blockade of its oil fields and prepare for direct military confrontation with Washington.
Russia has repeatedly stated that it would actively participate in the modernisation of the Venezuelan armed forces until 2013.
In 2005-2006, Venezuela ordered weaponry from Russia worth 3.4 billion dollars, including 24 Su-30MK2V Flanker fighters, Tor-M1 air defence missile systems, Mi-17B multi-role helicopters, Mi-35 Hind E attack helicopters and Mi-26 Halo heavy transport helicopters.
It also purchased 100,000 AK-103 Kalashnikov assault rifles from Russia in 2005.
With the arms' contracts signed in 2006-beginning 2007, Venezuela has become the world's second largest importer of Russian weaponry after Algeria.
--- UNI
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Venezuela located just at the door step of mighty USA.
Venezuela is likely to have the largest military reserve of 2 millions in the Americas, which is expected to be almost double the size of that in the United States. It is part of President Hugo Chávez's plan to create a people's army that would answer directly to him in the event of civil unrest or an armed conflict.