Chavez Gives Moscow Political Backing, but Concrete Oil Deals Absent

摘要

Underlining a further warming in their relationship, Russia and Venezuela on Thursday signed a number of deals during an official visit to Moscow by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. No real oil development contracts were inked, but Moscow won strong political backing from Chavez, who said Caracas will recognize the independence of the breakaway Georgian regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. That will make Venezuela the third country to support the controversial independence declarations - made following a military conflict in August 2008 - after Russia and Nicaragua.