Russia is issuing a postal stamp to commemorate the 60th birthday of deceased Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez, who forged economic and military ties with Moscow during his 14-year reign.
Chavez, who once called the United States "the biggest menace to our planet," is respected in Russia for bolstering the former superpower's influence in South America.
Moscow already has a street carrying Chavez's name, "and for the 60th anniversary, we will issue a special postal stamp," President Vladimir Putin told his Venezuelan counterpart in a recent meeting in Brazil.
Putin told President Nicolas Maduro, who succeeded Chavez after he died last year, that he would send an envoy to the South American country for the birthday celebration on July 28, according to comments posted on the Kremlin website Thursday.
"Everything that Hugo Chavez set as tasks for developing our relations and that was later taken up by you — everything is being fulfilled by us," Putin told Maduro.
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