Russian-Venezuela trade growing - Putin

MOSCOW. May 7 (Interfax) - Trade between Russia and Venezuela is growing, as the two countries attach priority to the energy, logistics, transport, and pharmaceutical industries as promising areas of cooperation, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

The $200 million trade between Russia and Venezuela is far from making both countries happy, "and yet the trend is good, and last year saw 64% growth," Putin said while meeting with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who is on an official visit to Russia.

"This is a good figure. We have good and promising areas of interaction, they're obvious, and our colleagues are working along all these tracks, which include energy, transport, the pharmaceutical industry, logistics, healthcare, and certainly, the humanitarian component. We are basically satisfied with how our contacts are developing, and among other things, this is happening owing to the fact that you're attaching great significance to this personally," he said.

"I'd like to note that our relations are based on our strategic partnership treaty, and this is a good basis for our interactions. And as a matter of fact, we're achieving the well-known results working on this very basis," Putin said.

Putin also spoke well of late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. "We remember our friend, Hugo Chavez, very well. He was a charismatic leader not only for your country, but also for the whole of Latin America. Certainly, he was our friend, you're continuing his cause now, and we wish you all the best," Putin said.

He said the two leaders would have an opportunity to talk about all areas of bilateral cooperation at the talks.