Russia to help Venezuela develop nuclear project
By IANSSaturday, April 3, 2010
Caracas, April 3 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Russia and Venezuela signed a landmark agreement to prepare a draft for construction of the first nuclear power plant in the Latin American country, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said Saturday.
“We are ready to start drafting the first nuclear plant project,” Chavez told a joint press conference after talks with the visiting Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
Putin arrived in Venezuela Friday for talks on a range of issues including military-technical cooperation and joint energy projects.
The two countries also inked a deal which will allow Russia’s National Oil Consortium to participate in the development of Venezuela’s Ayacucho-3 and Hunin-3 oil deposits.
The National Oil Consortium (NNK) of Russian companies working in Venezuela includes Russian energy giant Gazprom, state-run crude producer Rosneft, Russian-British joint oil venture TNK-BP, Surgutneftegaz and LUKoil.
The NNK has earlier agreed to pay a total of $1 billion to participate in the Hunin-6 project, which could produce up to 450,000 barrels daily by 2017.
The visiting prime minister also assured delivery of military equipment to Venezuela to help the country boost its national defence.
“We will continue to support the development of the armed forces of Venezuela. As you know, Russia has already delivered the most efficient Su-30 heavy fighters and other military equipment to Venezuela,” Putin said at the press conference in Caracas.
Putin also sanctioned a $2.2 billion loan to Venezuela.
“Our Finance Ministry have considered Venezuela’s request for a $2.2-bln loan… and I informed the Venezuelan president today that Russia is ready to give this loan (to Venezuela),” Putin said.
–IANS/RIA Novosti
