Medvedev, Chavez to sign package of documents after talks

MOSCOW, September 10 (Itar-Tass) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev
and his Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chavez who arrived in Russia on a
working visit, plan to sign on Thursday a package of about a dozen
documents by the results of talks, including cooperation in the military
and military-technical sphere, in the oil and gas sphere as well as in
space explorations.
This information was reported by the Russian president's aide Sergei
Prikhodko, specifying that no concrete contracts will be signed in the
sphere of military-technical cooperation.
"A package of around a dozen of agreements has been drafted on various
issues, encompassing spheres of fuel and energy complex,
military-technical cooperation, finance, political partnership,
implementation of infrastructure projects, including transport,
agriculture, etc.," Prikhodko said.
The president's aide explained that in case with documents on military
and military-technical cooperation, the sides have in mind general
agreements.
For instance the sides prepared drafts of intergovernmental agreements
on mutual protection of intellectual property during bilateral
military-technical cooperation, mutual protection of classified
information as well as an agreement between the military departments of
the two countries on cooperation, which presupposes questions of training
personnel, education, military exchanges and exchange of information.
"We don't want the signing of specific contracts on military-technical
cooperation to coincide with this visit," Prikhodko noted. He said at the
same time that deliveries of military hardware from Russian could be
discussed. "We do not preclude a chance of crediting deliveries of Russian
military hardware," he added.
Speaking of cooperation in energy, the president's assistant stated
that a memorandum is expected to be signed on understanding between the
Transneft and Petroleos-Venezuela companies in the sphere of long-term
cooperation so as to develop infrastructure of the Orinoco oil belt.
Besides, Petroleos-Venezuela intends to conclude an agreement on
cooperation in the sphere of energy with the Russian state-owned
corporation Rostekhologii.
As for partnership in space explorations, Prikhodko said that flights
of Venezuelan cosmonauts are not yet in the offing. "The Venezuelan side
is mostly interested in the earth's sounding," he continued. "Besides,
they display interest in this field for the needs of the Ministry for
Emergencies," he added.
The presidents will hold talks at the Barvikha residence outside
Moscow. This Russian visit for Chavez is the eighth since 2001. Medvedev
visited Venezuela in November 2008. Incidentally, this trip was the first
visit by a Russian head of state to that country over the entire history
of bilateral relations.