President Hugo Chavez says Venezuela's may develop its own nuclear energy industry

by RIA Novosti
Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez said Wednesday his country might develop its own nuclear energy industry.

"We do not have the [civilian nuclear energy] program at present, but we could use the nuclear energy for civilian purposes in the future," Chavez told a news conference upon arrival to Moscow.

The Venezuelan leader, who is on a visit to Russia as part of his European tour, earlier said he planned to sign an agreement Thursday in Moscow on the construction of a Kalashnikov assault rifle assembly plant in his country and was also considering the possibility of purchasing Tor M1 air defense missile systems from Russia.