PORTUGAL: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez signs agreements worth 3 billion dollars (USD) in the areas of housing, telecommunications and energy

Record ID: 777482

  • Title: PORTUGAL: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez signs agreements worth 3 billion dollars (USD) in the areas of housing, telecommunications and energy
  • Date: 28th September 2008
  • Summary: (BN13) LISBON, PORTUGAL (SEPTEMBER 27, 2008) (REUTERS) (*** SOME FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY ***) EXTERIOR OF VENUE FOR SIGNING OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN PORTUGUESE PRIME MINISTER JOSE SOCRATES AND VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT HUGO CHAVEZ SOCRATES AND CHAVEZ ARRIVING CAMERAMAN AT CEREMONY VARIOUS OF CHAVEZ AND PORTUGUESE PRIME MINISTER SOCRATES WITH "MAGELLAN" COMPUTER JOURNALISTS PORTUGUESE AND VENEZUELA MINISTERS SIGNING AGREEMENTS PHOTOGRAPHER
  • Embargoed: 13th October 2008 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Portugal
  • Country: Portugal
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA3FH7A2T7BXLNB6GZHFUSIX3I9
  • Story Text: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez signed cooperation accords with Portuguese officials in Lisbon on Saturday (September 27), in the areas of housing, telecommunications and energy during the last leg of a world tour.
    As part of the deal, Chavez ordered 1 million ultra-cheap laptop computers from Portugal, in a deal valued at more than 3 billion U.S. dollars (USD), a Portuguese government spokesman told Reuters.
    Speaking at the signing ceremony, Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates told journalists that the agreement to supply the 'Magellan' computers to Venezuela was very important for his country.

    "Today we signed an agreement which permits Venezuela and Portugal to place 1 million computers in Venezuela. But I want to call your attention to the fact that this is much more than the export of computers. It is about cooperating with Venezuela, to install in Venezuela a program which is very similar to the one we have in Portugal and that is designed to improve education in Venezuela, like we are going to do here in Portugal," said Socrates.
    The computers, called 'Magellan' after the 16th century Portuguese explorer, will use Intel processors, but will be assembled in Portugal by the JP Sa Couto company.
    On Tuesday (September 23), the computers went of sale for 285 euros as the Portuguese government announced plans to rollout 500,000 of the laptops for school children in Portugal.
    The first delivery to Venezuela is expected to be from December onwards aimed at boosting Venezuelan public education programs.
    Portugal also agreed to help Venezuela with public housing projects by providing 50,000 pre-fabricated houses.

    "For us it is such a marvellous agreement. To take 15,000 pre-fabricated houses of a high quality, we don't doubt that," Chavez said.
    The houses will be built and installed by Portuguese construction company Lena Construcoes, with 15,000 built in Portugal and the remaining 35,000 in Venezuela.
    Chavez's stop in Portugal was the last in world tour which has already taken him to Cuba, China, Russia and France.
    Chavez, known for his anti-U.S. rhetoric, took the opportunity to say he hoped the next administration in the U.S. would be more respectful.

    "We hope that the next U.S. government will be a government with which we can talk, nothing more. We don't ask for anything else. With respect, all we ask is respect. If you want me to respect you, then respect me. For those who feel disrespected, constantly, have the right to respond," said the Venezuelan president.
    Before departing on the return journey to Caracas, Chavez said the signing of the accords was the beginning of a closer cooperation between the two countries.

    "Portugal and Venezuela still have a very low level of commercial exchange, but we are working increasing it, on taking it to billions of dollars, and that translates to more employment, more development for Venezuela and for Portugal," he said.
    The two countries also signed several other agreements in the energy sector, including a memorandum of understanding between EDP Energias de Portugal and Venezuelan state-owned oil company PDVSA for the development of a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) integrated project from reserves in the Blanquilla Este block in northern Venezuela.
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