MOSCOW. June 26 (Interfax-AVN) - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will receive Venezuelan Vice President Ramon Alonzo Carrizalez Rengifo on Thursday. Carrizalez is visiting Moscow at the invitation of the Russian government to prepare a visit of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
Putin and Chavez had a telephone conversation on Tuesday to discuss "a possible Moscow visit of the Venezuelan president at the invitation of the Russian leader," the Russian government press office said earlier.
Meanwhile, a government source told Interfax that Putin and Carrizalez would concentrate on the development of trade and economic relations. Trade between Russia and Venezuela grew to $1.13 billion, including $1.1 billion worth of Russian exports, last year.
Bilateral cooperation is focused on fuel, energy and mining, the source said. "Military-technical cooperation between Russia and Venezuela is also developing well," he said.
According to open sources, military-technical contacts near $4 billion.
Experts say that Russia and Venezuela may soon sign large contracts on the deliveries of anti-aircraft missile systems, among them S-300 PMU2 Favorit and Tor-M1.
A Russian defense industry source told Interfax in April that a contract on the delivery of three diesel-electric-powered submarines to Venezuela might be signed on the sidelines of the Chavez visit.