(Prensa Latina) - "Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolás Maduro highlighted the importante of energy integration group Petrocaribe, boosted by Caracas to benefit the peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean.

The integration squeme, stressed the minister, contributes to the region's stability in energy supplies and there is a possible expansion to coop projects in fisheries, poultry and tourism.

As part of the visit of president Hugo Chávez to St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Maduro extolled the initiative of Petrocaribe that allows to engate in -energy integration expanding the capacity of storage and distribution.-

He referred to the consequences for the states of this area of lacking a group such as Petrocaribe, as they would be subject to -a horrible crisis from the economic and social point of view.-

In this regard, said the FM, leaders of Dominica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Venezuela, Antigua and Barbuda analyze aspects of vital interest for the peoples as is integration and union through concrete projects aimed at development.

A new era has begun and is in process of developing and expanding, judging by the work and results of that work done by our leaders, said the Minister.

Petrocaribe has the aim of coordinating and designing efficient energy policies to use resources rationally, together with the training of personnel and the development of infrastructure projects in the energy sector.

This scheme is also conceived as a policy coordinating organization for the energy, oil, gas and electricity industries.

Such hopes also involve four heavy oil refining ventures with US transnationals Exxon Mobil, Conoco Phillips, Chevron Texaco and British Petroleum, Total (France) and Statoil (Norway).

If such potentials are confirmed Orinoco would stand as a pillar of Venezuela's industrial, social, economic, technological and domestic development".