Brazil is #1 for Russia

Now this is just plain mean … and will no doubt hurt Hugo’s feelings.  It is amusing how the diplomat is practically blaming Venezuela for initiating the deals.

From El Universal:

Russia’s ambassador to Spain Alexander Kuznetsov said that the policy of rapprochement with Latin America countries, such as Venezuela or Cuba, should not be considered a matter of concern. Kuznetsov said that Brazil is Russia’s major strategic partner in the Latin American region.

The Russian envoy participated in a colloquium at the headquarters of the European Institutions in Madrid entitled “Russia today. Answers to the challenges of Europe and the international society,” where he addressed major current issues, Efe reported.

The Russian diplomat highlighted that Brazil is the “truly strategic partner” of Russia in the region for “his status as a global power.”  He said that the interest of enhancing the relationships with Cuba is “the result of a most pragmatic approach, particularly in the economic area.”

Kuznetsov said that “the same goes for Venezuela,” although he stressed that in this case, Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez took the initiative of signing arms and energy agreements.