Russia, Venezuela may hold joint naval maneuvers

MOSCOW, Russia (AP) — A Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman said that Moscow may hold joint naval maneuvers with Venezuela, a deployment that comes amid increasingly tense relations with the United States.

Andrei Nesterenko said a squadron of Russian navy ships is to visit Venezuela before the year’s end. Nesterenko said that deployment had been planned before Russia’s war last month with Georgia.


The Russian statement comes after Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez announced the maneuvers in Sunday broadcasts.

Chavez said Russian naval vessels are due to call on Venezuelan ports in late November or December.

AP