Politics
Two Russian warships that will stage joint military maneuvers in the Caribbean Sea with Venezuelan ships arrived in La Guaira seaport as part of their visit to Venezuela, which is intended to tighten the ties between Russia and Venezuela and expand Moscow's influence in Latin America.

The two vessels appeared in front of La Guaira seaport a few minutes past 9:00 a.m. The Russian fleet was greeted by a group of Venezuelan sailors who fired off cannons in a 21-gun salute, AP reported.

The arrival of the vessels coincides with the visit to Venezuela of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Wednesday. The Russian ruler is visiting the region since last week. 

The deployment of the Russian naval squadron is headed by the nuclear-powered cruiser Peter the Great, the first of its kind sailing the waters of the Caribbean since the Cold War, as well as a missile destroyer.  

Russia has repeatedly ruled out that the military exercises in Venezuela are directed against the interest of other countries in the region.