Venezuela, Russia seal fighter jet deal

Official: Russia, Venezuela seal fighter jet deal
U.S. wants Moscow to reconsider billion-dollar agreement

Updated: 1:58 p.m. ET July 21, 2006

MOSCOW – Russia has struck a deal worth more than $1 billion to supply fighter jets and helicopters to Venezuela, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said on Friday.

“The contract was concluded … for the delivery of 30 Su-30 fighter aircraft and the delivery of the same number of helicopters,” state-owned Rossiya television showed Ivanov saying.

“The contract is for a sum in excess of one billion (dollars),” Ivanov added. The two sides announced weeks ago that they were working on the contract.
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Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez is buying the high-performance Sukhoi fighter jets to replace his government’s F-16 jets. Washington, D.C. has banned U.S. arms manufacturers from selling to Chavez, saying he is a dangerous autocrat.

The United States has asked Moscow to reconsider the aircraft contract.

Former soldier Chavez says he is preparing his armed forces for a U.S. invasion. He has already taken delivery of a big consignment of Russian Kalashnikov automatic rifles.

The Venezuelan leader is due in Moscow at the end of July on a tour that will also take in Argentina, Belarus, Iran, Mali, Qatar and Vietnam.

Copyright 2006 Reuters Limited.
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