Russian Deputy Prime
Minister Leads
Delegation to Nicaragua
MANAGUA - Deputy Prime
Minister Igor Sechin led
a delegation to
Nicaragua, a former Cold
War ally, on Wednesday,
as part of a push to
increase Russian
influence in Latin
America after years on
the sidelines in the
region.
Sechin said Russia
wanted to promote trade,
energy and education
projects, including oil
exploration off
Nicaragua's coast, the
development of
hydrothermal energy
projects and expanding
the number of Nicaraguan
students at Russian
universities, Interfax
reported.
Energy Minister Sergei
Shmatko and Sergei
Chemezov, head of the
government-owned Russian
Technologies, were also
in the delegation.
Nicaragua recently
joined Chavez and Cuba
in recognizing the
breakaway Georgian
regions South Ossetia
and Abkhazia, backing
Russia's stance in the
international dispute. |
