Venezuelan President To Visit Russia

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez has amended his international tour agenda and will arrive in Moscow for a brief working visit on Sunday night. RIA Novosti learnt this Thursday in the Venezuelan embassy in Moscow. During his Monday negotiations, Chavez is expected to discuss the situation on the international oil market, with the oil prices plummeting of late. Venezuela is presiding over the OPEC. The sides will also swap opinions on the international situation in the wake of the September 11 tragedy in the USA and on the current military action against Afghanistan. The original agenda of Chavez's tour envisaged a visit to Algeria and eight European countries. However, last Sunday the Venezuelan leader included some other oil-exporting countries--Libya, Saudi Arabia, Iran /all members of the OPEC/, and Russia, in his program. The Venezuelan president already paid a visit to Russia in May, 2001.