MOSCOW. Dec 11 (Interfax-AVN) - Military-technical cooperation between Russia and Venezuela started by Hugo Chavez productively continues under the incumbent administration of President Nikolas Maduro, Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez said.
"This is more than cooperation; this is friendship based on respect. The warm relations in the military-technical field were built during the tenure of Hugo Chavez and continued under President Nikolas Maduro," Lopez said as he greeted the crews of Russia's two Tupolev Tu-160 strategic bombers, Antonov An-124 heavy military-transport aircraft, and Ilyushin Il-62 long-range plane.
The television channel Rossiya 24 (VGTRK) aired on Tuesday the welcome ceremony that took place at Maiquetia International Airport in Caracas.
The Commander of the Russian Aerospace Forces' Long-Range Aviation, Lt. Gen. Sergei Kobylash, said, for his part, that the joint training with Venezuelan pilots would boost cohesion and promote the exchange of practices. "These flights will give us a better idea of the organization and training of pilots in the Republic of Venezuela and promote the exchange or our practices. We may see something new here," he said.
Russian pilots presented aircraft models to the Venezuelan defense minister and gave him a tour of their aircraft.
This is the third visit paid by Tupolev Tu-160 planes to Venezuela. The previous visits took place in 2008 and 2013.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported earlier that two Tu-160 planes, an An-124, and an Il-62 had landed in Caracas International Airport having covered a distance of over 10,000 kilometers.