Medvedev to visit Cuba, Venezuela, Brazil

Moscow, Nov 14 (UNI) Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will visit Cuba, Venezuela and Brazil, after attending the November 22-23 APEC summit in Peru.

''The big Latin American tour is connected with the APEC summit in Lima, after which the President will visit Venezuela, Brazil and Cuba,'' presidential spokesperson Natalya Timakova said today.

An invitation to visit Cuba from President Raul Castro was handed over to Medvedev by Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque, who visited Moscow this week.

Medvedev will visit Cuba on November 27, the Kremlin press service said.

Washington has objected to Russia's greater links with the two countries that have antagonistic relations with the US.

The Soviet Union was a key supporter of Cuban leader Fidel Castro during the Cold War. Under Hugo Chavez, Venezuela has moved to buy millions of dollars in Russian weaponry and invited Russian energy giants to drill in the country's oil fields.

The Russian government announced last week it had approved a state loan to Cuba of up to 335 million dollars to buy Russian goods and services. In 2007, trade between Russia and Cuba totalled about 300 million dollars.

A Russian naval flotilla is on its way to the Caribbean to hold joint military exercises with Venezuelan forces.

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