Chavez calls Lukashenko 'a new friend'

"Here, I've got a new friend and together we'll form a team, a go-ahead team," Chavez says about Lukashenko in public comments before a private meeting.

"I thank you, Alexander, for solidarity and we've come here to demonstrate our solidarity."

Lukashenko returned the praise, Moscow's Pravda reports, calling Chavez "a man of extensive knowledge."