English

Venezuelan president confirms plans to visit Belarus in September

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has confirmed his plans to visit Russia, Belarus and Libya in September to bolster cooperation with these three countries, AFP reported on August 16.

"I should be visiting Russia, Belarus and Libya within a month," Mr. Chavez was quoted as saying during a political event on Saturday. "This trip has been planned since the beginning of the year, but now we have much weightier reasons to step up cooperation with these countries."

Meanwhile, the High-Level Belarusian-Venezuelan Joint Commission is scheduled to meet in Minsk on August 17 to discuss cooperation between the two countries, BelaPAN said.

The Venezuelan delegation to the meeting will be led by Venezuelan Vice President Ramon Carrizales and include representatives of the ministries of foreign affairs, science, technology and medium industry, energy and petroleum, agriculture and land, and environment and natural resources, said the press office of the Belarusian foreign ministry.

Led by Viktar Sheyman, presidential aide for special missions, the Belarusian delegation will include representatives of the Council of Ministers, the National Assembly, the Supreme Economic Court, the ministries of foreign affairs, defense, finance, information, forestry, energy, trade, education, architecture and construction, industry, agriculture and food, justice, and health, as well as representatives of the State Committee on Science and Technologies, the State Defense Industry Committee, Belnaftakhim (state petrochemical industry conglomerate), Beldzyarzhkharchpram (state food industry conglomerate), the Minsk City Executive Committee and other organizations and agencies.

According to the foreign ministry, participants at the meeting are to discuss the current socio-economic situation in the two countries, ways of strengthening the interstate dialogue at all levels, issues concerning joint economic projects, trade and scientific and technical cooperation, and measures to develop the legal basis for relations between the two countries.

Members of the Venezuelan delegation are to hold talks at Belarusian ministries and organizations.