Venezuelan President's Entourage Confirms His Forthcoming Visit To Russia

The Venezuelan president's entourage confirms that Hugo Rafael Chavez Frias will pay a non-scheduled visit to Russia. RIA Novosti learnt this from a source in the entourage of the Venezuelan leader who is currently holding negotiations in the OPEC HQ in Vienna. Then, the Venezuelan president, now chairman of the OPEC, will leave Vienna for Portugal to be followed by non-scheduled visits to Saudi Arabia, Iran and Russia. According to the source, the Moscow negotiations will feature the situation on the world raw materials markets, including the plummeting prices for oil energy sources. Hugo Chavez believes that stabilization of the world raw materials markets cannot be achieved without Russia, the world's second oil producer, stressed the source. In his words, in Moscow the sides will touch upon trade and economic and energy relations between Moscow and Caracas.