During his three-day tour to Russia, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez went to the countryÂ’s world-known armory center, Izhevsk (Udmurtia). In Izhevsk, Chavez announced the intention to rearm Venezuelan army with the help of Moscow and lashed out at the United States, contrasting it with Russia. The Bush administration that is attentively eyeing the visit called on Moscow not to sell the innovative weapons to Caracas, including Su-30 fighters. But the Kremlin made clear the military cooperation with Venezuela breaches neither the international agreements nor the laws of Russia.As a former colonel of VenezuelaÂ’s army, Chavez obviously enjoyed the yesterdayÂ’s trip to Udmurtia. Straight from the airport, the president went to the firing range of Izhmash works, where he spent an hour watching the demonstrational shooting from innovative Kalashnikov sub-machine guns and new types of rifles. He was also shown TOP-M1 and Osa (Wasp) air defense systems. The president didnÂ’t bother to conceal his admiration.
After the firing range, Chavez headed for Izhmash weapons maker, Kalashnikov museum of small-arms weapons and had a personal meeting with Mikhail Kalashnikov, the legendary armourer of Russia. The Kalashnikov sub-machine gun is the banner of Venezuelan armed power, Chavez said after receiving an autobiographical book by Kalashnikov.
And the presidentÂ’s rhetoric was well-justified. Venezuela has acquired 100,000 Kalashnikov AK-103s of the latest model and Chavez is in to mood to stop at what has been accomplished. Chavez vowed that on Thursday he will seal an agreement in Moscow to construct a Kalashnikov works and an ammunition maker in Venezuela. WhatÂ’s more, Chavez promised to conclude one more agreement on the same day. It will set forth buying Su-30 fighters with the first planes to be delivered to Venezuela already this year.