You're reading: Chavez calls Yanukovych his friend

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has expressed his gratitude to the Ukrainian leadership for the invitation to visit Ukraine.

"I’ve been planning to come to Ukraine for a long time," he said at a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych in Kyiv on Monday.

Chavez called Yanukovych his friend and pointed out that planned the visit immediately after his victory in the presidential election in Ukraine.

"I was very pleased to hear about your victory, about your [here Chavez uses the informal form of "you"] return, which was secured by the Ukrainian public. That very day I said to myself that ‘I cannot waste time anymore, I must go to Ukraine and shake Viktor Yanukovych’s hand, I have to embrace [the president] and convey the warmest greetings to the Ukrainian people,’" he said.

The Venezuelan president at the press conference said that the international policy of his country is "a position of friendship with all peoples," with all nations.

Along with this, he stressed that Venezuela "does not want to be supervised by anyone."

Chavez also said that the world should not be either polar or bipolar, it should be multi-lateral, multi-polar, and Ukraine could also play a role.