Politics
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin is visiting Venezuela to make preparations for the visit of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, AFP reported.

Sechin, who is accompanied by a group of Russian businessmen, held a meeting on Wednesday with President Hugo Chávez and Foreign Minister Nicolás Maduro.

During his stay in Venezuela, the deputy prime minister will establish a high level Russian-Venezuelan commission to discuss energy, finance, industry and technology topics as well as military, spatial and nuclear issues.

Additionally, the Russian PM will be present in the starting works to drill a natural gas well in the Gulf of Venezuela, in a joint venture with the Russian oil and gas company Gazprom.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has held up Russian economic cooperation as evidence of the two countries' "strategic" relations.