EL UNIVERSAL

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez Tuesday voiced interest in initialing an agreement with Russia under which a pipeline manufacturing plant would be constructed in Venezuela for supply to the southern gas pipeline linking Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay.

"We are ready to sign an agreement for the construction of a plant that could use Venezuelan steel and Russian know-how," Chávez declared, following a meeting with the director of the Russian Metallurgic Pipeline Company Dmitri Pumpianski in Volgograd, formerly Stalingrad, where he started his second official visit to Russia.

Chávez said Venezuela "is laying a gas pipeline across South America" and pipelines are needed, Interfax reported.

The southern gas pipeline is expected to take gas from Venezuela to Brazil, with ramifications to Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay.

Chávez is paying a three-day official visit to Russia and is expected to renew a number of agreements to purchase weapons from Moscow. Such pacts have caused anger in the United States administration, Efe said.

Early on Tuesday, Volgograd regional and Cossack officials welcomed Chávez at the airport. Following a Cossack tradition, the Venezuelan ruler drank a vodka shot from a sable, ITAR-Tass reported.

Also in Volgograd, Chávez visited a gigantic monument dedicated to the Second World War and took a tour of a tractor factory.

Chávez -who branded bilateral links with Russia as "strategic"- also met with Vagit Alekperov, CEO of Russian oil firm Lukoil -Russia's largest oil corporation following Yukos demise.

Chávez expressed interest in deepening bilateral cooperation with Russia in the military, metallurgic and energy fields. Further, he expressed interest in "building a plant to manufacture Kalashnikov assault rifles."

In this direction, on Wednesday Chávez is visiting the Izhmash plant, located in Izhevsk, some 1,000 km east Moscow, where Kalashnikov rifles are manufactured.

In Izhevsk, Chávez is meeting with General Mikhail Kalashnikov, the renowned Russian gunsmith who designed the world's most popular assault rifle and who recently visited Venezuela to attend the military parade commemorating the Venezuelan Independence Day.

"The United States, through its hegemony and imperialism, has tried to isolate our countries. Our national projects aim at creating a multi-polar world and destroying imperialism," said Chávez.

"We do not intend to attack anyone, but we should be taken into account. The US imperialism must be eradicated in this century," Chávez said.

In 2005, Venezuela purchased 100,000 Kalashnikov AK-103 assault rifles.

Translated by Maryflor Suárez R.