Official website of the President of Russia

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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr President, friends,

Let me once again welcome you all to Moscow. We had a good working day yesterday, and I want to thank you personally for taking part in the summit of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum.

As regards our bilateral relations, I’m pleased to note that you have picked up the baton from your predecessor, one of most prominent leaders in Latin America, Hugo Chavez, and continue to further develop Russian-Venezuelan relations.

Our trade and economic ties have reached a new level of $2 billion, and our companies have an ambitious investment plan that exceeds $20 billion. Actually, all our plans are developing successfully.

And we are working successfully on diversification of our ties. We have a rich agenda with many topics to discuss. And I’m very happy for this opportunity to meet with you personally.

“Our trade and economic ties have reached a new level of $2 billion, and our companies have an ambitious investment plan that exceeds $20 billion. All our plans are developing successfully.”

President of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro (translated from Russian): Mr President, first of all I would like to thank you for the solidarity and personal friendship that you have had with President Chavez. Mr Chavez always showed great respect and love for Russia, and we have inherited this love from him.

We have come here to confirm our commitment to further strengthen and expand our strategic alliance with Russia. Over the last decades, we have built a whole range of multifaceted relations between our nations in various spheres. We have good progress in the energy sector, oil, gas, oil-and-gas equipment manufacturing industry. Our cooperation in the military sector is also progressing at a good pace.

Relations in the financial sector, agriculture, culture and education are also developing. We have 14 areas to develop and 63 topics, or issues to work on.

I would like to once again express my satisfaction with our visit to Moscow, with the fact that we continue to move forward along the track set by President Chavez.

Our country holds a special place in Latin America: it’s the motherland of the great liberator Simon Bolivar, — and Russia can rely on Bolivar’s home country.

Thank you.

Vladimir Putin: I know that you have taken part in commemoration events in memory of Hugo Chavez. One of Moscow streets has been given his name.

Nicolas Maduro: That’s right. We are going to inaugurate this street in the afternoon. It’s going to be a very emotional moment. Thank you.

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