Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez recently announced plans to buy dozens of Russian tanks in response to the U.S. deployment of military bases in neighboring Colombia, aimed at curbing the country's flourishing drugs trade and the activity of FARC guerillas.
Responding to questions from journalists, during a meeting of the Russia-Venezuela Intergovernmental Commission in St. Petersburg, on possible purchases of Russian tanks by Venezuela, Sechin said, "military-technical cooperation is a sphere where the decisions are made by presidents."
The commission, co-chaired by Sechin and Venezuelan Vice President Ramon Carrizalez, was organized ahead of a proposed visit to Russia by Chavez.
Carrizalez said that the U.S. plans to deploy seven bases in Columbia "Is a threat to all Latin American countries."
The vice premier said U.S. claims the military bases were aimed at tackling drug production in Columbia were untrue, as the real goal was, "To put an end to movements which are growing in strength in Latin America and that want to achieve political independence."
Carrizalez said that a number of agreements had been signed during the commission session, including on jointly tackling drug trafficking, and added that Venezuela was located between the main drug producing countries - Columbia and the main "user," which the U.S. is considered to be.
"It is a serious problem for us, a tragedy even, because our territory is used for the transit of drugs," he said.
The Venezuelan Army currently has more than 80 outdated French-made AMX-30 main battle tanks and several dozen AMX-13C light tanks.
Chavez, who has spent billions of dollars on weapons from Russia in recent years, confirmed that Caracas and Moscow were discussing purchases of Russian T-90 main battle tanks among other military equipment.
Between 2005 and 2007 Russia signed 12 contracts worth more than $4.4 billion to supply arms to Venezuela, including fighter jets, helicopters and Kalashnikov assault rifles.
