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Venezuela — Russia: Military friendship

The news that two strategic bombers TU-160 of the Russian Air Force landed at the military airport Libertador in Venezuela has come around the world.

As it was informed in the Ministry of Defence of Russia, two long-range strategic bombers TU-160 of Guards Donbass Red Banner heavy bomber aviation unit (garrison Engels) performed a flight as per the plan of air patrol in remote geographical regions. In the zone of responsibility of St. Petersburg AF and AD unit, the bombers were accompanied by SU-27 fighters that ensured their coverage.

The flight route passed over the neutral waters of the Arctic Ocean and the Atlantic. All flights were performed in strict conformity with international rules of air space use over the neutral waters. Nevertheless, on the way to Venezuela the Russian aircraft were also accompanied by NATO fighters.

President of Venezuela Hugo Chavez stated that the Russian bombes came to Venezuela to carry out training flights and their temporary presence was not connected with the events in the Caucasus. It was also confirmed in the Russian Federation Foreign office. The issues of joint military exercises used to be discussed during bilateral talks more than once.

Chavez did not exclude participation of those SU-30 fighters in training flights that are already available with the Venezuelan Air Force. The president said that he was personally going to make a flight on TU-160 and before that he «was practicing at the training simulator».

Early in September Venezuela and Russia declared about preparation for joint naval exercises in the Venezuelan territory waters. Russian North fleet ships, headed by heavy nuclear missile cruiser «Petr Velikyi», will take part in the exercises that are to take place at the end of November. Several ships, submarines and combat aircraft will take part from the Venezuelan side. During these exercises they will master a number of joint tasks, including joint maneuvering, search and salvation at sea.

These exercises will become the first since the cold war times, carried out by Russia in the region that Washington traditionally thinks its sphere of influence. Venezuela and Russia totally reject the statements that their military cooperation is the revival of «cold war» and «is the reply of Russia with the support of Venezuela to the conflict in the Caucasus».

Official representative of the Russian Foreign Office Andrey Nesterenko, while commenting the report about joint naval exercises between Venezuela and RF, stressed that they were in no way going to be directed against the third country, not linked with the present situation in the world, and agreements to carry out those were concluded long before the military actions in Georgia started.

In Sunday program «Alo Presidente!», Chavez, while speaking about the coming exercises, once again reminded that Venezuela is a strategic ally of Russia, that is why, despite its scarce resources would do all possible so that the exercises should pass at the highest level.

Venezuelan opposition, inspired and financially supported on the eve of regional elections by patrons from the USA, were glad to catch hold of the subject of military cooperation with Russia. «They speak about Soviet empire and Russian communism that exist no longer. It is just madness, - said Chavez. - They have a fit of hysteria regarding the future coming of Russian military ships to Venezuela, but do not notice the presence of the US 4th fleet and nuclear submarines in the close vicinity of the Venezuelan territories».

Chavez, naturally, categorically rejected all insinuations of opposition regarding the joint exercises with Russia and stressed that they did not differ from the planned on November 2-14 joint exercises «Southern Cross» in which military ships from the Netherlands, France and Brazil were going to take part. «Venezuela is free to develop political, economic, scientific and military-technical relations with the countries it thinks necessary», - said Hugo Chavez.

«This is an equivalent reply to bringing the US fleet to the Black sea, the Russian leadership maintain their reputation earned under Tshinval, and gives geopolitical adversary no quarter», - that was how Dmitryi Popov, expert of portal «Evrazia», commented the information about joint exercises of Russia and Venezuela. «If previously, those people, who knew the geopolitical war, were annoyed that only Lukashenko made friends with Hugo Chavez and all our people wondered, then now we at once compensated the lost opportunities of cooperation with this country... Military exercises are not a joke. This is more than serious».