CARACAS. March 12. KAZINFORM President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus is expected to make an official visit to Venezuela March 16 and March 17, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro said Thursday as he opened a meeting of the Venezuelan-Belarusian high-level commission, Kazinform refers to Itar-Tass.

The commission met in session in Caracas to complete preparations for the visit.

"Venezuela will be the first country Alexander Lukashenko will visit during his tour of Latin America," Maduro said.

He did not specify the other countries of the region that Lukashenko is going to go to.

A Belarusian delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir Semashko is taking part in the meeting. It includes Lukashenko's aide at large Viktor Sheiman, as well as top ministers and top officials from governmental departments.

Venezuela's Executive Vice President Elias Jaua welcomed the delegation on behalf of Comandante President Hugo Chavez.

He singled out bilateral cooperation in the energy sector, civil engineering, agriculture, manufacturing industry, science, technology, education, and culture, saying it has become a weighty factor in friendship between the two countries.

The commission will analyze the progress of work under on all the agreements and implementation of all the joint projects in the above-said areas, Jaua said, Kazinform cites Itar-Tass. See www.itar-tass.com for full version.