[NYTr] PL News Roundup on Chavez in Europe
 
Date: Tue, 20 Nov 2007 20:11:37 -0600 (CST)

Via NY Transfer News Collective  *  All the News that Doesn't Fit
 
Prensa Latina, Havana
http://www.plenglish.com

Chavez Offers Energy Advice and Warning

Paris, Nov 20 (Prensa Latina) Venezuela"s President Hugo Chavez, on a
brief visit to France, spoke to press about energy on Tuesday and said
the world must prepare for the post-petroleum era and defend the
peoples" right to seek alternative energy sources.

He said that, with agreement and cooperation, existing crude reserves
could last 100 years, but if threats of war and aggression continue,
the situation could become very tense.

In this respect the leader of the country with the most oil reserves in
the world within the select group of Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United
Arab Emirates, Russia, Iraq and Canada particularly stressed the
escalation of tensions by the United States and Europe over Iran"s
nuclear development.

Chavez, just returned from a visit to Iran, declared it is a lie that
there is any interest in that country to use its nuclear program for
other than peaceful ends.

If Iran were to be attacked, he stressed, in addition to the people"s
defense of their traditions, the cost of oil could go over $200 a
barrel.

It is evident that if we do not adopt joint strategies, if we do not
use good judgment and if US imperialism does not stop trying to
dominate, we will be on the edge of international catastrophe, he
concluded.

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Chavez: Constitutional Reform On Track

Paris, Nov 20 (Prensa Latina) In statements to media from Paris,
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said that the constitutional reform in
his country is on a path of no return, and expressed confidence that
the majority of Venezuelans will support that on December 2.

It will be a democratic ceremony, again testing the confidence in our
current process, he indicated and quoted recent poll data showing 67
percent of people have confidence in the State.

Chavez, on a 24-hour visit to discuss his humanitarian mediation in a
proposed Colombian prisoner exchange, met with French President
Nicholas Sarkozy, and expressed his optimism concerning the future of
that process.

In addition, he indicated he is waiting for a meeting with Colombian
Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC), which may bring progress.

Hope for such progress exists in France as well as Colombia,
particularly over the fate of former presidential candidate Ingrid
Betancourt, a FARC prisoner, whose family maintains confidence in the
mediation of the Venezuelan President.

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                          ***

Prisoners First for Chavez in Paris

Paris, Nov 20 (Prensa Latina) Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez
cancelled the MEDEF business meeting slated for Tuesday morning here,
to prepare an important gathering with French head of state Nicolas
Sarkozy and Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner on his mediation of the
exchange of prisoners in Colombia.

Scheduled for this afternoon at the Elysee Palace, the gathering is to
review advances in Chavez' progress with the himanitarion arrangement.

The Venezuelan head of State arrived in Paris from Iran Monday night on
an official visit, and was welcomed by Jean-Pierre Azvazadourian, head
of protocol from France' Foreign Ministry.

Chavez' agenda here also includes meeting with Colombian Senator Piedad
Cordoba, and relatives of Ingrid Betancourt, former presidential
candidate in the hands of the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces
since 2002.

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                              ***

Chavez in Portugal to Ink Energy Accord

Lisbon, Nov 20 (Prensa Latina) Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez arrived
in Portugal Tuesday to meet with Portuguese Prime Minister Jose
Socrates and sign an important agreement on energy.

The Venezuelan president arrived in Lisbon after visiting Paris, where
he met with French Chief of State Nicolas Sarzozy. Before that he
visited Saudi Arabia and Iran.

During Chavez' stay in Lisbon an agreement will be signed for the
supply of about 2 billion cubic meters of Venezuelan gas to Portugal,
with price not released.

The agreement also includes creation of a joint company in the
industrial complex Gran Mariscal Ayacucho in the state of Sucre between
Galp-Energia (Portuguese) companies and PDVSA (Oil of Venezuela).

Another issue in the conversations between Chavez and Socrates will be
the situation of the numerous Portuguese communities in Venezuela,
mainly in the area of education and social security for them.

Portuguese Minister of Economy Manuel Pinho and State Secretaries
Fernando Serrasqueiro (Commerce and Services) and Antonio Braga
(Portuguese Communities) are participating in the talks.

Portugal has important investments in Venezuela in the sectors of
tourism, telecommunications, construction and banking.

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PL-42
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