Portugal And Venezuela Strike Deals On Housing, Computers

LISBON (AFP)--Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's week-long diplomatic tour came to an end in Portugal Saturday with the signing of a deal to provide social housing and personal computers to the South American country.

Chavez and Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates agreed on a deal to export 1 million laptop computers to Venezuelan school children and build 50,000 pre-fabricated homes.

A Portuguese company will make the computers to be delivered to Venezuelan students from December this year.

"It's a lot more than exporting computers," Prime Minister Jose Socrates said. "It's about cooperating with Venezuela to set up a program similar to what we have in Portugal. The aim is to improve education."

The two countries also agreed to cooperate on energy, notably on gas and electricity, on what was Chavez's third official visit to Portugal in less than a year.

Chavez's visit to Portugal marks the end of a week-long international diplomatic tour, taking in China, Cuba, France and Russia.

Since Chavez came to power in 1999, Venezuela has become a major buyer of Russian weaponry on the premise it needs stronger defences in case it comes under foreign attack. Chavez has repeatedly accused Washington of plotting his overthrow.

During Chavez's visit to Moscow on Thursday, Russia announced a one-billion-dollar loan to Venezuela to buy Russian arms. Both countries in 2005 and 2007 signed deals for 4.4 billion dollars of Russian weapons, including fighter jets, tanks and assault rifles.

Chavez also claimed during his visit to Beijing earlier this week that he had agreed on a deal to buy 24 K-8 combat planes from China, although this was denied by Chinese officials.