Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez Wednesday boasted of his country's good ties with fellow U.S. foe Belarus, even suggesting the two countries could become part of a Soviet-style union.
Chavez held talks in Minsk with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko marked by a bonhomie that saw the pair also propose they travel the length and breadth of Venezuela in the near future.
"We need to create a new union of republics," Chavez told Lukashenko, according to a statement from the Belarusian presidency.
"This will not be a union of Soviet or socialist republics," he said in reference to the defunct Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. "It will be free republics with their own systems, but united in a union."
The maverick leader didn't give further details about his vision, saying only that he and Lukashenko would discuss their "strategic cooperation" in Caracas soon.
Chavez was later due to depart for Russia to cement another relationship that has grown in importance over the last years, particularly in defense.
Belarus and Venezuela are on different continents but joined by a shared suspicion of the West, with Chavez a bete noire of the U.S. and Lukashenko once condemned as "Europe's last dictator" by Washington.
Chavez was making his fourth visit to Belarus since 2006. The Venezuelan leader also visited his close ally Iran during his foreign tour, as well as Algeria and Syria.
"Just a few years ago we did not know each other," said Lukashenko. "But today we have millions of dollars in trade. If we implement what we are planning, it will be billions of dollars."
Lukashenko also painted a rosy picture of his upcoming visit to Venezuela, which Chavez said could take place in November or December.
"We will travel across all Venezuela, starting from the sea and the mountains; we will look at oil wells and gold mines, gas fields and quite possibly we will dream up something new in our relations," said Lukashenko.