Venezuelan lawmakers welcomed Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko on Tuesday morning at the Parliament in Caracas. During his participation as keynote speaker Lukashenko offered to assist Venezuela in building a national air defense system and urged businessmen to trust in Venezuela and invest in areas such as agriculture and housing.

"We have made the proposal to President (Hugo) Chávez to share our experience and create a single defense system in your country. If the Venezuelan government agrees, can do this in a very short time and you will be able to live peacefully without the need to look around to check if anyone is going to plot against you," the Belarusian President said during a special session at the National Assembly.

In a speech where Lukashenko spoke more about investment offers than socialism, the Belarus leader highlighted his friendship with President Chávez and said that "we must continue to pay for our independence. We must defend it."

Lukashenko referred to the agreements between Belarus and Venezuela and particularly to the construction of "wonderful" factories in the country. Three of them will be devoted to produce tractors. He also announced the creation of a trading house to offer Belarusian products to the member countries of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA).

Later, Lukashenko and his Venezuelan counterpart travelled to the city of Turmero in the state of Aragua to launch the construction of 5,000 houses in the new socialist city of Guasimal.

Translated by Gerardo Cárdenas