Venezuelan president: Castro recovering, able to walk　
Cuban leader Fidel Castro is recovering and has been up and walking, said Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Wednesday after he and visiting Cuban Vice President Carlos Lage signed a range of deals designed to boost cooperation.

At the signing ceremony, Chavez read part of the letter that Castro wrote to him, saying "I am going to show you something, for those who say that Fidel is dying, that he can't talk, that he can't move."

"Lage told me Fidel walked for I don't know how many minutes yesterday. And he's walking more than I am, almost trotting," he said.

Chavez, a close ally of Castro, said, "We can know he is in good condition by looking closely at the strokes of the signature."

"We are extremely happy, Fidel, about the news of your recuperation," said Chavez, noting that he is looking forward to meeting Castro in the near future.

Fidel Castro, 80, had an intestinal operation on July 27 and four days later he handed over power temporarily to Raul Castro.

Though the veteran Cuban leader has not made any public appearance since the surgery, he delivered New Year's greetings to his countrymen on Dec. 30, congratulating them on the 48th anniversary of the Cuban revolution.