Chávez opens the doors of Petrocaribe

Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez said on Friday that the doors of Petrocaribe are open to "whoever willing to join" the strategic alliance.

During the opening session of the 6th Petrocaribe Summit in Saint Kitts and Nevis, in the Eastern Caribbean, the president highlighted the importance of the financing facility which proposes an alliance amidst the global crisis, DPA reported.

"The doors are open to whoever willing to join Petrocaribe," said Chávez and added that the financing facility "is a vital issue for our countries."

"The human aspect takes precedence over the geographical extent of Petrocaribe and its geopolitical clout. Remember that near 50 million people are parties to this initiative. Therefore, we should deepen Petrocaribe and create new cooperation mechanisms," he recommended.

Chávez suggested a partnership between Petrocaribe and the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA). The latter is a bloc bolstered by Venezuela and Cuba against free trade.

"While the ALBA is a pro-socialist core, unlike Petrocaribe, both of them complement each other, and they need to affect each other," he added.