Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez said on his Sunday television and radio show, Alo Presidente, that his nation will sign a deal to buy Russian fighter planes when he visits Moscow in August or September.

Chavez also said that he could sell Venezuela's F-16 fighter planes if the United States does not provide spare parts to his country.

"We will soon be in Moscow, because we will buy Russian fighter planes to defend our sky and land," said Chavez, adding these jets would be Russia's Sukhoi Su-30 planes, which are "100 times better than the F-16s that Venezuela bought from the United States."

Chavez's remarks echoed a statement by General Alberto Muller Rojas, the presidential advisor, who said last week that Venezuela was looking at the idea of selling the planes to Iran if Venezuela does not receive spare parts.

Citing Muller's statement, Chavez said: "he said that if they do not want to sell us spare parts, we should sell the planes... why lose all that money? It is millions of dollars. Then, Muller said, we should sell them to Iran, and that could be done."

Last Monday, the United States announced a ban on military sales to Venezuela, and one day after that Sean McCormack, spokesman for the U.S. State Department, said that the sale of the planes to Iran, or anyone else "is not permitted."

Source: Xinhua