South Africa and Venezuela signed on Tuesday a major oil agreement during an official visit by Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez, who invited Petrosa, South Africa's state-owned oil company, to work together with Venezuela's state-run oil company Pdvsa at the Orinoco Oil Belt.

In a joint press conference held by the Venezuelan leader and his South African counterpart, Thabo Mbeki, Chávez informed that Venezuela and South Africa began to develop a strategic agenda including master agreements for cooperation in energy and oil. Chávez stressed that both countries are interested in the agreement entering into force as soon as possible.

"May Petrosa go immediately to Venezuela to work with us at the Orinoco Oil Belt," said Chávez. "As Venezuela has delivered oil to the United States and to other developed countries of the North for one hundred years, it is time for us to send oil to our brothers of the South. It will be a wonderful day, the day when the first Venezuelan tanker will stop by to leave oil for South Africa," he added.

Chávez was received Tuesday morning by Mbeki, in Pretoria, at the beginning of an official visit described as "historic," to strengthen diplomatic and trade relations between the two countries.

The first visit of a Venezuelan president to South Africa is also aimed at consolidating the relations between Africa and South America, AFP reported.

Translated by Gerardo Cárdenas