Russia and Venezuela agree to cooperate

27 November 2008

[AFP, RIA Novosti; 27 November] Russia and Venezuela have signed a cooperation agreement in the field of the peaceful use of nuclear energy. The accord was signed by Russian president Dmitry Medvedev and Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez in Caracas. Sergei Kiriyenko, head of Russia's Rosatom corporation, said that Russia has been negotiating such an agreement with Venezuela since 2005. He said that the framework agreement supports the development of legislation and the training of personnel for the joint development of uranium deposits. The two countries plan to jointly explore for uranium, develop nuclear medicine and science, and cooperate in the construction of nuclear power plants, according to Kiriyenko. In addition to the nuclear energy agreement, other accords were signed, including ones on oil exploitation, industrial cooperation and the removal of visa requirements for each country's citizens.