Hugo Chavez Visiting Russia; Possible Oil and Arms Deal
* Chavez to discuss major energy, arms deals - Kremlin
* Chavez to meet President Medvedev, PM Putin
* Venezuela state oil firm to ink Russian deals - Kremlin
By Denis Dyomkin
MOSCOW, Sept 9 (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez will discuss major energy and military agreements with Russia during a two-day visit from Wednesday.
Cooperation between Russia, the world's No. 2 oil exporter, and OPEC member Venezuela has been dismissed by the United States as mostly talk but is watched with concern by Colombia, which has stormy ties with its Latin American neighbour.
President Dmitry Medvedev's chief foreign policy aide Sergei Prikhodko said talks would focus on widening cooperation.
"About 10 agreements which embrace the fuel and energy sector, military technical cooperation and finance have been prepared," he told reporters in the Kremlin.
Chavez, who has used seven earlier visits to Russia to lambaste the United States, will meet Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Thursday. The Kremlin has previously sought to distance itself from Chavez's anti-U.S. rhetoric.
The Kremlin said discussions would focus on energy projects, mining and defence, with agreements expected on military cooperation and the development of the Orinoco oil belt.
Chavez, a former soldier who led an abortive 1990s coup before later winning an election, wants to rearm the Venezuelan army with Russian missiles, tanks and diesel submarines.
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