MOSCOW – Russia hailed Friday the creation this week of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, saying that the new organization will serve to promote regional integration.

“The new structure, added to other regional and multilateral mechanisms, will contribute to increased cooperation among the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a communique.

Moscow believes that the decision taken at the summit in the Mexican resort city of Cancun “reflects Latin America’s growing aspirations for closer political cooperation and coordination to give its countries a bigger role in world affairs.”

“The new organization can be an important factor for the formation of a multipolar world order. Russia is ready to undertake cooperation and political dialogue with it to strengthen the equilibrium of international relations,” the ministry said.

After years of paying little attention to Latin America, Russian President Dmitri Medvedev made a tour of the region at the end of 2008, visiting such countries as Brazil, Venezuela, Peru and Cuba, and will make a repeat visit this year, the Kremlin announced.

Meanwhile, over the past two years Russia has welcomed the presidents of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez; Bolivia, Evo Morales; Argentina, Cristina Fernandez; Chile, Michelle Bachelet; Nicaragua, Daniel Ortega, and Cuba, Raul Castro.

Moscow is as interested in exporting arms to the countries of the region as it is in making investments there, particularly in the energy sector and in transportation infrastructure.

The new Pan-American organization does not include the United States or Canada, though according to analysts it is compatible with the Washington-based Organization of American States. EFE