(24 Nov 2008)
FILE: Recent
1. Wide Ministry of Defence building
24 November 2008
2. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Major General Jesus Gonzalez Gonzalez, Chief of the Operational Strategic Command of the Venezuelan Armed Forces:
"Yesterday our president said that (the ships) were already in Venezuelan territory. They should be reaching the Venezuelan port tomorrow morning."
3. Mid shot Gonzalez at press conference
4. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Major General Jesus Gonzalez Gonzalez, Chief of the Operational Strategic Command of the Venezuelan Armed Forces:
"The area where the exercise will take place has already been decided. They are very simple, routine exercises as we've already said, including navigation, reconnaissance, patrols, anti-terrorism, exchange of crews - what we have already talked about. The details of these (exercises) will probably be made known by the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, who is the person responsible for this activity."
FILE: Recent
5. Wide Ministry of Defence building
STORYLINE:
The general in charge of the Operational Strategic Command of Venezuela's Armed Forces announced on Monday that a Russian naval fleet would arrive at a port near the capital, Caracas, early on Tuesday morning, to take part in joint naval exercises.
Speaking at a news conference in Caracas, Major General Jesus Gonzalez Gonzalez indicated that the fleet was already on Venezuelan territory and said that it would be carrying out "simple, routine exercises."
Russia is sending the nuclear-powered cruiser Peter the Great, the destroyer Admiral Chabanenko, and logistical vessels including a tugboat and a supply ship.
It's the first such deployment by the Russian navy in the Caribbean since the Cold War.
The Russian navy said the two warships would visit the Venezuelan port of La Guaira starting on Tuesday, according to the Russian news agency Interfax.
It said the ships are scheduled to hold joint exercises with Venezuela's navy starting on December 1.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was also expecting a visit by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Wednesday as part of a Latin American tour.
Chavez has been boosting ties with Russia while tensions with the US have grown, and he has bought more than 4 billion US dollars worth of Russian weapons.
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