President of Russia made a tour of Latin America.

his tour of Latin America, the President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev has completed in Havana, where he met with Fidel Castro, becoming one of the few international leaders, which over the past year took Fidel. President of Russia held talks with Chairman of State Council of Cuba, Raul Castro, on the Russian-Cuban cooperation, which has recently become more intense.

Over the past few days, the head of the Russian state has visited Peru, Brazil, Chile and Cuba.

He met with leaders of the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas. This organization was created in late 2004, to include Cuba, Venezuela, Bolivia, Honduras, Dominica and Nicaragua. Among the observers - Haiti, Iran, Uruguay, Venezuela. During the meeting discussed prospects of development of cooperation of Russia with these countries. At the summit of ALBA was attended by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, Bolivia's President Evo Morales, President of Honduras Manuel Zelaya, president of Nicaragua, Daniel Ortega, President of Ecuador Rafael Correa and Vice Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Cuba, Ricardo Cabrisas. With some of them Russian president met for the first time. Since these states had no relations in the past few years, even diplomatic. Under President Boris Yeltsin in Latin America was not committed a single visit to the highest state level. Only in 1996, ten Latin American countries visited by Yevgeny Primakov.

now trade turnover with the countries of the region amounts to 15 billion dollars.

Only pedstavitelyami Venezuela 46 Russian entrepreneurs are developing joint projects. There are some interesting ideas about how to develop cooperation with Peru and Brazil in particular, with the largest company Petrobras. Several new projects will be developed in Cuba.

"We are only now beginning to full, a full and, hopefully, mutually beneficial contacts with the leaders of these states and, respectively, with the economies of those nations. There is nothing shy and afraid of competition, you should feel free to" engage in a fight, "-- Dmitry Medvedev said at a meeting with reporters.