BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

24/07/2006

Belarus, Venezuela to develop long-term strategic partnership

MINSK, July 24 (Itar-Tass) -- Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez signed a bilateral declaration after talks in Minsk on Monday.

The document envisions long-term strategic partnership between the two countries, aimed at increasing mutual support and expanding mutually advantageous cooperation.

The two sides also signed inter-governmental agreements on cooperation in the fields of science, technology, energy, and petrochemistry.

The signed documents include a memorandum of understanding in the field of political consultations between the foreign ministries of the two countries, on scientific, technological and innovation cooperation, and a memorandum of understanding in the field of agricultural cooperation.

Chavez invited Lukashenko to visit Venezuela. "I hope you will be the first Belarussian president to visit Venezuela," he said.

Source:

http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=10651271&PageNum=0