Havana.- The President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez Frias, arrived this Wednesday at 6:00a.m. to the International Airport Jose Marti in Havana, Cuba, to attend the IV Petrocaribe Summit to be formally held next Friday 21 in the city of Cienfuegos, in the Jagua Hotel.

The Venezuelan President arrived to the Caribbean island in company of the People’s Ministry for Foreign Relations, Nicolas Maduro, the president of Venezuela’s Social and Economic Development Bank (Bandes) and the Vice Minister of Finance, Rafael Isea.

The Cuban Vice President, Carlos Lage, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Felipe Perez Roque, the Venezuelan Ambassador in the Caribbean island, Ali Rodriguez Araque, and the Cuban Ambassador in Venezuela, German Sanchez Otero, welcomed the Venezuelan President.

One of the most interesting aspects of this IV gathering that will be formally held on Friday 21 is that it will coincide with the re-inauguration of the Camilo Cienfuegos oil refinery. This refinery is a Cuban-Venezuelan joint venture company that will process 65 thousand barrels per day in its first stage.

This event will gather the 16 nations that compose Petrocaribe, in addition to the countries that will act as observers in this event (Honduras and Guatemala).

Petrocaribe was created in the first energy meeting of Heads of State and Government held in Puerto la Cruz, Venezuela, as part of an initiative put forward by the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

Three summits have been held thus far: the incorporating summit, the one in Montego Bay, Jamaica, and the last one in August of 2007 in Caracas, Venezuela.

The main results of these meetings include the Petrocaribe Energy Cooperation Agreement, the Political Declaration of Heads of State and Government, and the Energy Security Treaty.

This meeting is expected to end after 5:00p.m. on Friday afternoon. The first Vice President of the State and Ministers Councils and Army General Raul Castro will also attend this summit and will be the head of the Cuban delegation.

(With information from the Bolivarian News Agency)