Chavez says Russia's Medvedev to visit Venezuela

Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez said on Thursday his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev will visit the South American nation this year, a new sign of growing ties between two of Washington's sharpest critics. Chavez said Medvedev will visit after OPEC member Venezuela holds city and state elections at the end of November. "The Russian president wants to visit Venezuela in November, a few days after the regional elections. It will be an honour for us to receive this good friend," Chavez said during a political rally. Closer ties between the two countries -- including two visits by Chavez to Moscow since July -- follow a rift between Moscow and Washington over Russia's brief war with its neighbour Georgia in August. Russia has rapidly strengthened relations with Venezuela since then. Chavez, known for his anti-U.S. rhetoric, hosted a visit by Russian bomber planes to Venezuela this month and Russian warships will hold exercises here in November, the first such manoeuvres in the Americas since the Cold War. Moscow has also said it is willing to help Venezuela develop nuclear energy. Chavez has spent billions of dollars on Russian fighter jets, helicopters and rifles since Washington banned sales of U.S. weaponry and spare parts to Venezuela several years ago. Russia says the developing ties with Venezuela are driven mainly by economic interests and planned cooperation on energy issues.