February 11, 2005
European MPs discard possible arms race in Venezuela

(El Nacional) - " The European Parliamentary Commission visiting Caracas said that President Hugo Chávez is not promoting an arms race in Venezuela, as implied by the United States.

President of the European Parliament Delegation, Alain Lipietz, said to Venezuelan journalists that his team is "not worried" about this, because their 'information systems' ruled out the veracity of Washington's warning.

The Secretary of the American Department of State, Roger Noriega, said the White House is worried about a possible Venezuelan arms race.

' We thank the United States for its warning, but we have our own information systems and our own matters to discuss. We are not worried', said Lipietz, after a meeting with Venezuelan Vice President Jos é Vicente Rangel.

Together with Lipietz, this European Parliament delegation includes the Spaniards Fernandez Martín and Manuel Ortega, the Lithuanian Arunas Degutis, the Italian Claudio Fava, the Dutch Lambert Van Nistelrooij and the German Sahra Wagenknecht.

This MP's are members of the European Parliament delegation for relations with the sub regional bloc of the Andean Community of Nations (CAN) integrated by Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela".