Russian leader Medvedev praises Fidel Castro

[Nostalgia]

Russia's president paid tribute to Fidel Castro Sunday after a meeting with the Cuban revolutionary icon.

Dmitry Medvedev said his conversation with Castro Friday was "extremely interesting" and suggested the world should draw on the experience of such long-standing political figures when trying to tackle today's problems.

Medvedev spoke in a video recording that was made on his plane as he returned from Cuba and posted on the Kremlin Web site.

Medvedev referred to the 82-year-old former president as "Cuban leader Fidel Castro" even though his younger brother Raul is now president. Medvedev also met extensively with Raul Castro.

Medvedev, 43, visited Cuba, Venzuela, Peru and Brazil in a trip designed to boost Russia's influence in Latin America.

Medvedev's Latin America tour was partly a response to U.S. moves in eastern Europe, where Russia sees its security threatened by U.S. plans to build a missile-defense system in former Soviet satellite states.

Medvedev said earlier that he and Raul Castro, 77, had discussed economic and "military-technical cooperation" _ apparently arms sales _ "as well as security and regional cooperation."

The Soviet Union was Cuba's chief source of aid and trade until it disintegrated in 1991 and Cuba's relations with the Russian Federation soured. Russia is now also looking to spend money on projects such as oil exploration in Cuba's part of the Gulf of Mexico and in a Venezuelan effort to refurbish a Soviet-era refinery in the port city of Cienfuegos.

http://townhall.com/news/business/20...s_fidel_castro

[Thinking Man's Idiot]

Caracas joins Moscow

(Sunday 30 November 2008)






VENEZUELA and Russia will begin three days of joint naval exercises in the Caribbean on Monday.

The Bolivarian News Agency said that the operation involving 11 Venezuelan and four Russian ships has been christened Venrus 2008.
The exercises will include anti-aircraft defence and tactics to combat terrorism and drug trafficking. Some will involve aircraft.
The Russian squadron arrived in Venezuela on Tuesday, led by nuclear-powered cruiser Peter the Great, the first deployment of its kind since the cold war. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev visited Venezuela last week, where he and counterpart Hugo Chavez agreed to increase trade and co-operation on nuclear energy.
Mr Medvedev then visited Cuba, where he met former president Fidel Castro on Friday.
Mr Castro later wrote in his weekly Reflections that Russia, China and Venezuela were "the three most important pillars of our trade at the moment" which the "powerful empire" of the US has been "unable to block."



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