Russia may launch nuclear energy cooperation with Venezuela, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said Thursday during talks with the country's fiercely anti-US leader Hugo Chavez.
   
"We are ready to consider a possibility of cooperation in using nuclear energy," Putin said.
   
Putin also noted "development of our ties in all spheres," with "new possibilities in energy, high-tech, machine construction and chemicals."
   
Russian and Venezuelan companies "have good perspectives not only in bilateral sense but also on third markets," Putin said.
   
The Russian premier also thanked Chavez "for the warm welcome for our strategic aviation airplanes which had spent many days in Venezuela," pledging "realisation of all our accords on cooperation between our navies."
   
"I am ready to discuss our cooperation in military and technical sphere," Putin said, explaining that "Latin America has become an important chain-link in creating a multipolar world, and we will pay more attention to this sector."
   
In deployments not seen since the Cold War, Russia this month sent two long-range bombers to Venezuela for exercises and has dispatched a flotilla of warships from the Arctic base of Severomorsk to Venezuela, near US waters.
   
Venezuela has signed 4.4 billion dollars' (three billion euros') worth of contracts to buy Russian arms since 2005, according to the Kremlin.
   
"Today like never before all that you said on the multi-polar world becomes reality. Let us not lose time," Chavez agreed, thanking "dear" Putin for "having invited me to Moscow before winter began."
   
"The world is fast developping geopolitically," Chavez added.
   
Chavez's visit comes as Russia's relations with the United States are in a deep chill because of Russia's war with Georgia last month -- a conflict where Chavez was one of the few world leaders to support Moscow.