Venezuela's presidVenezuela's president to visit Belarus June 29-30

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez will pay a working visit to Belarus on June 29-30, following his visit to Russia, a Venezuelan Embassy official in Minsk said Wednesday.

The agenda for the South American leader's visit to the ex-Soviet republic has not yet been announced.

The outspoken socialist president visited Belarus last July, and announced that he and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko had established a "strategic alliance." The leaders put up a united front against their arch foes in Washington, condemning attempted U.S. interference in their domestic affairs.

Minsk has pinned hopes on cooperation with oil-rich Venezuela in the energy sphere, in particular Belarusian participation in developing Venezuelan oil deposits.