July 24th

LISBON
Portuguese Prime Minister José Sócrates and Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez discussed in Lisbon the current global situation and bilateral relations, a government speaker told Efe.

In a brief stay before proceeding to Belarus and Russia on official visit, Chávez and Sócrates made a general review of the international situation. The source did not specified if the leaders dealt with the Israeli-Lebanon clashes.

During the meeting that lasted one and a half hour and took place in Lisbon international airport, Chávez and Sócrates talked about improving bilateral relations, particularly new investments and trade exchange.
Additionally, both leaders made reference to the recent Mercosur summit held in the Argentinean city of Córdoba last July 20-21, where Venezuela debuted as full member of the bloc.

BELARUS
During his first meeting with Belarus President Aleksander Lukashenko, branded Europe's last dictator by the United States, Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez proposed the organization of a "strike team," AFP reported.
 
"I have found a new friend here and we ought to make a team. It will be a strike team," Chávez said Sunday at the beginning of his visit to Belarus, during a meeting with Lukashenko.

The two heads of state are regarded as outcasts by the United States. Washington has accused them of leading authoritarian regimes, and imposed economic sanctions on both countries.

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko will pay a visit to Venezuela, following an invitation by his Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chávez, Efe reported.

In addition to a joint statement and a number of cooperation agreements, Chávez and Lukashenko resolved to establish an inter-government committee to plan projects in the common interest.

Venezuela and Belarus have launched a "strategic alliance" focusing particularly on military cooperation, Tuesday said Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez during his visit to the Minsk military academy.

Chávez urged the Belarusian Government to "face a false democracy that is a de facto democracy of elites and multinational oligarchs."

Seven agreements

Chávez and Lukashenko Monday signed seven agreements, including military cooperation, the official news agency ABN reported.

The rulers initialed a joint statement at the headquarters of the Belarusian Presidency, following a meeting where Chávez expressed interest in bilateral integration.

Both countries signed a memorandum of understanding for political consultations, and inked pacts on military cooperation, scientific and technological cooperation, a pact on petrochemicals and energy, and an agreement on agriculture, DPA informed.

July 25th

RUSSIA
Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez Tuesday arrived in Volgograd, formerly Stalingrad, the first stop in his three-day visit to Russia, local authorities informed.

On arriving in the Russian airport of Volgograd, Chávez drank vodka from a sable, according to the Cossack tradition, AFP said.

Chávez "decided to start his tour of Russia by visiting Volgograd in order to pay homage to the defenders of Stalingrad (the former name of Volgograd), a city where the Hitler's Germany military machinery was cracked in February 1943," Venezuelan ambassador to Russia Alexis Navarro Rojas said, as quoted by Itar-Tass.

Chávez is also meeting with Volgograd governor Nikolai Maxiuta and businesspeople, including the CEO of oil firm Lukoil, Vaguit Alekperov.

This is Chávez' second official visit to Volgograd. His first visit was in May 2001.

The Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Basic Industries and Mining granted recently a concession to Russian Al Rus to exploit kaolin and install an ignition and refining plant, southern Bolívar state governor Francisco Rangel Gómez reported.

The governor supplied the information during the visit of President Hugo Chávez to Volgograd, Russia, and noted that an investment of USD 200 million is envisaged, official news agency ABN quoted.

In June 2005, a business round with Russia held in Venezuela yielded about USD 650 million in investments, following execution of 13 instruments.

July 26th

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez Wednesday said the first Russian warplanes Su-30 are arriving in Venezuelan "by the end of the year" and thanked Moscow for breaking the "blockade" the United States imposed on weapon sales to Venezuela.

In Izhevsk, Ural Mountains, during Chávez' second day in his three-day official visit to Russia, the Venezuelan ruler told reporters that on Thursday in Moscow, where is meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, he is initialing an agreement to purchase "the best airplane in the world."

Chávez said the foundation stone for the Kalashnikov manufacturing plant would be laid in two weeks in Maracay, central Aragua state. Chávez estimated that this plant would be completed in some two years.

"I believe the State has a responsibility to equip and train the nation's military, and that is exactly what I am doing, nothing else." He added that the plant would be another step towards Venezuela-Russia unity, "to defeat the empires."  He claimed that "the United States is trying to disarm Venezuela for subsequent invasion."

On Wednesday, Chávez also meet with Russian renowned gunsmith Mikhail Kalashnikov, who designed the Kalashnikov assault rifle, Efe reported.

Russia guarantees weapon sales to Venezuela
Russian Defense minister Serguei Ivanov Wednesday said his country is to meet agreements to sell warplanes and helicopters to Venezuela, thus rejecting US calls to reconsider such sales, AFP reported.

"Review of the agreements is absolutely ruled out," Ivanov stated, as quoted by Russian news agencies.

Washington wants Russia to reconsider arm sales to President Hugo Chávez, who is initialing in Moscow a number of pacts to purchase Russian warplanes, Tuesday said the US State Department Assistant Spokesman Tom Casey.

Udmurtia
Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez Wednesday said he is assessing the possibility to buy state-of-the-start equipment for the oil industry from a manufacturer in Izveshk, Udmurtia Republic, Russia, the official news agency ABN reported.

Chávez' comments came Wednesday during a meeting with his counterpart of Udmurtia Alexander Alexandrivich Volko. Both rulers discussed bilateral integration processes.

"Today we will start evaluating the possibility to purchase equipment for Venezuelan oil plants," Chávez declared.

Moscow
As part of his fourth working visit in his global tour, Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez arrived Wednesday in the air base of Vnukovo, located in Moscow, the capital city of Russia.

Russian Vice-Minister for Northern Latin America Affairs Kislyak Serguei Ivanovich, Foreign Ministry director of protocol Mikhail Orlovest, and Venezuelan ambassador Alexis Navarro welcomed the ruler.

On Thursday, president Chávez is to visit the Library of Foreign Languages. There, he will uncover a bust of Liberator Simón Bolívar. Afterwards, he will head for the Kremlin, the government venue, to meet in private with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Chávez thanks Putin's resistance to the empire. A few hours following his arrival in Moscow, Chávez thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for his resistance to Washington pressures to cancel the pact. The Russian Defense Ministry categorically stated that the agreements with Venezuela would be initialed, despite US objections.

"Thanks to President Vladimir Putin's determination we have crushed the US empire attempts at disarming Venezuela. They are bombing entire cities in Iraq, and at the same time they are criticizing Venezuela moves to buy defensive weapons. The US cannot claim the moral ground on this issue. Russian supply of weapons to Venezuela is provided for under the international laws."

July 27

On Thursday, Chávez is to initial a USD 1 billion agreement to purchase 30 Su-30 warplanes and 30 helicopters.

President Hugo Chávez Thursday met with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and praised his weapon sales agreements with Russia, AP reported.

Chávez thanked Putin's help in "breaking the US policy intended to disarm Venezuela completely," DPA reported. He added that without Russian support Venezuela would be practically disarmed, given the US blockade.

Arm deals
Venezuela and Russia have initialed arm deals for some USD 3 billion in the last 18 months, including purchase of 24 Sukhoi Su-30 warplanes and 53 helicopters.

Chávez, at the beginning of his meeting with Putin, said Venezuela needed the Russian warplanes because the United States refused to sell spare parts for the old fleet of F-16s planes Venezuela owns.

Earlier on Thursday, Chávez slashed out at the United States during a ceremony before the statue of Liberator Simón Bolívar. "After almost two centuries, we can say that the United States was meant to populate the whole world with poverty on behalf of freedom. That is what is happening in Iraq, the Middle East and Latin America. The United States is the worst threat facing the world today."

At the end of his three-day official visit to Russia, Chávez talked about a strategic alliance with Russia, claiming he was "determined to consolidate bilateral relations." Putin, in turn, branded Venezuela as "natural ally."

Next, Chávez is to visit Qatar, Iran and Mali, in his attempts to obtain support for Venezuela candidacy to the United Nations Security Council as a non-permanent member.

Russia supports Venezuela entry into Security Council
Russian President Vladimir Putin Thursday said Moscow supports Venezuela attempts to join the United Nations Security Council as a non-permanent member, Efe reported.

"We applaud Venezuela aspiration to occupy a seat as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council," Putin said during a meeting with Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez in the Kremlin.

Gazprom
An agreement will be entered Thursday by the Venezuelan Government and Russian state-run Gazprom. Under the agreement, the gas corporation will provide technical advice in some Venezuelan projects, Minister of Energy and Petroleum Rafael Ramírez disclosed.

The minister and president of state oil holding Petróleos de Venezuela (Pdvsa) explained that a meeting will be held with Russian managers to discuss potential incorporation of Gazprom, the largest gas company in the world, into the project on the South American gas pipeline, AP reported.

The Governments of Venezuela, Argentina, Brazil and Bolivia are promoting the laying of a hemispheric gas pipeline of more than 8,000 kilometers in length, covering the Caracas-Buenos Aires axis.

Powerhouse
Russian Tecnopromexport expects to make a deal with Venezuela this year to build Uribante-Caparo, 500 MW-powerhouse.

CEO Sergei Molozhaviy made the announcement during a meeting with Venezuelan Minister of Energy and Petroleum Rafael Ramírez. The minister joined President Hugo Chávez on a working visit to Russia.

The company, Molozhaviy explained, is to complete an assessment of the project business component. Preliminary costs are estimated at USD 800-900 million, according to a press release from Tecnopromexport, quoted by Efe.

The corporation prepared and has delivered to Venezuelans a technical and economic feasibility study of the project. State-run electricity company Cadafe approved the building plan.

QATAR

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez Thursday afternoon arrived in Doha, Qatar, where he is meeting with Emir Hamad ibn Khalifa al Thani, following his three-day visit to Russia, where he entered into a sales agreement to purchase 24 warplanes and 53 military choppers.

IRAN

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez is arriving in Tehran on Friday night to meet with his Iranian counterpart Mahmud Ahmadinejad, Thursday a spokesman for the Iranian President's Office told AFP.

"Talks will focus on bilateral relations, revision of agreements entered into in the past, and initialization of new agreements," Ehsan Jahandideh said.

This two-day visit is Chávez' fourth to Iran since 2000. Both Iran and Venezuela are members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and have an anti-US stance.

Iran to confer medal upon Chávez on his birthday. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has arranged a ceremony where he will confer a medal upon his Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chávez and both are to initial a number of oil investment agreements on Chávez' birthday, but any surprises can be expected when the two unpredictable speakers meet.

Chávez is to celebrate his 52nd birthday among friends. Caracas is one of Tehran's closest allies, and Iranian investors are funding oil and construction projects in the Caribbean country.

Ahmadinejad and Chávez are very close. They both are populist former military officers who took a hard stance in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). This is Chávez' fifth official visit to Iran, in the last phase of his 14-day world tour.

Iran President's Office announced a reception for Chávez and said the former parachutist would be presented with the "High Medal of the Islamic Republic of Iran," but there was no information on the reasons why the medal would be conferred upon Chávez.

The Venezuelan delegation, including the Energy and Petroleum minister Rafael Ramírez, who is also the CEO of state oil holding Pdvsa, is also scheduled to initial some energy agreements before leaving Iran next Sunday.

Chávez, Ahmadinejad to ink agreements

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez and his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad are to initial a number of new bilateral agreements, the official news agency ABN informed. While no details on the agreements were disclosed, the pacts are expected to target technology transfer and energy.

The Iranian leader, besides Iran hydrocarbon potential, can offer Chávez the significant scientific and technological development his country has attained since the victory of the revolution in 1979.

In short, in the global geopolitical scenario, Chávez and Ahmadinejad manage the world's first and fourth largest oil reserves.