Chavez cancels Belarus visit

Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez has cancelled his Belarus visit scheduled for March, the Venezuelan Embassy in Minsk told the European Radio for Belarus. The embassy noted that the new dates had not been set yet. The Venezuelan diplomats also declined to comment on the reasons.

President Hugo Chavez visited Belarus in July 2006 and in June 2007.

Alexander Lukashenka paid a visit to Venezuela in December 2007. During his visit, the two presidents launched a joint Belarus-Venezuelan venture, PetroVenBel, which aims to drill oil in Venezuela. The sides also signed a number of bilateral agreements, including a protocol on the abolition of the visa regime between the two countries.

Photo: AFP