Economy
Russia announced on Sunday that it will deliver two Ilyushin IL-96-300 long-range passenger jets to Venezuela similar to those used by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and those ordered by Cuban leader Fidel Castro.

"The agreement with Venezuela for two IL-96-300 passenger jets will be signed late January or early February 2009," said Yuri Ostrovski, the deputy general director of Ilyushin Finance Company, to news agency Interfax, as reported by EFE.

The top Russian official said that a Venezuelan delegation will visit Moscow at that time to initial the contract and outline and approve the design of the technical project of the aircrafts, one of which would be built later this year and the other in early 2010. The price of the airliners is between USD 40 and 50 million.

Ostrovski conceded that the design of these aircrafts will be similar to the two IL-96-300s delivered in 2005 to Cuba, one of which was a passenger airliner and the second was intended for use by Fidel Castro. However, Ostrovski did not specify whether one of the aircrafts would be specially designed for Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez.