MOSCOW, July 28 (RIA Novosti) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev congratulated Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on his 55th birthday on Tuesday, the Kremlin press service announced.

Medvedev's letter was passed on to Chavez by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin, who was in Caracas on Monday to discuss plans for a bilateral Intergovernmental Committee meeting in St. Petersburg in August and President Hugo Chavez's next visit to Russia.

Medvedev also called for a further strengthening of relations with Venezuela.

"The head of state emphasizes the importance of holding another high-level Intergovernmental Committee meeting in mid-August, which will give an additional impulse to expanding mutual ties, primarily in the trade and economic spheres," the letter reads.