BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

29/06/2007

Venezuela and Belarus "brothers" against empire

Reuters

By Andrei Makhovsky Reuters

MINSK (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said on Friday his country and Belarus, both vocal critics of Washington, were "brothers" against a "world empire" and vowed to pursue joint economic projects to consolidate their ties.

Chavez was holding talks for the second time in less than a year with Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko, who is barred from entering the European Union and United States over allegations he flouts elementary human rights.

The Venezuelan leader, who wants to forge an alliance of leftist states to counter U.S. policy, renewed pledges for the two countries to support each other in international affairs.

"There are few peoples in the world who endure such strong pressure from the empire as Belarus. In this struggle we are brothers," Chavez said in talks with the veteran president.

"The empire which calls us dictators is itself trying to impose its dictatorship on the world.

"Our positions in international organisations, our views on the world order are absolutely identical. This is a solid basis for mutual support in the international arena."

Chavez arrived from Moscow, where he also praised Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has been at odds with Washington on several issues including NATO's plan to deploy a missile defence system in eastern Europe.

Kremlin officials sought to keep the focus on economic cooperation rather than politics ahead of Putin's weekend talks with U.S. President George W. Bush in Maine. Chavez's itinerary will take him back to southern Russia and then to Iran.

Western countries accuse Lukashenko, in power since 1994, of hounding his opponents, closing down media and rigging elections, including his re-election to a third term a year ago.

Lukashenko quarrelled with traditional ally Russia in the New Year over energy prices and has called for improved ties with the West, but rejects any notion that his administration must first improve its record on human rights and free speech.

Belarus says it wants to diversify its energy sources by extracting oil in Venezuela, including up to 2 million tonnes this year, and has offered to supply Caracas with fertilisers and equipment. Last month, Belarus clinched a deal with Tehran to extract oil at a big Iranian deposit.

"We have begun implementing big projects in the military and technical fields in energy and other areas," Lukashenko said during his talks with Chavez.

"There are already concrete results in oil extraction. There are other promising proposals. It is important now either to pursue them or abandon them."

Chavez pledged to proceed with every planned project.

"We have managed to do so much in less than a year, what could we manage over the 20 years we will be in power?" Chavez said with a smile.

Lukashenko replied, also with a smile: "Don't go scaring the Americans."

Source:

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/20070629/twl-uk-belarus-venezuela-bd5ae06.html

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