London mayor signs oil deal with Chavez
By Jennifer Quinn, Associated Press Writer | February 20, 2007
The Mayor of London Ken Livingstone, right, calls for a question during a joint press conference with Venezeulan Minister of the Popular Power for Foreign Affairs, Nicolas Maduro, rear, at city hall in London, Tuesday Feb. 20, 2007. Livingstone signed a deal with a Venezuelan oil company, aimed at saving millions of pounds on fuel costs for London's bus fleet. (AP Photo/Johnny Green-pa)
LONDON --London's socialist mayor signed an agreement Tuesday with Venezuela's state-owned oil company to provide discounted oil for the city's iconic red buses, praising the idea as the brainstorm of the country's leftist leader, Hugo Chavez.
Ken Livingstone -- a committed socialist known locally as "Red Ken" -- met with Chavez last year at City Hall to discuss the deal to provide cheap oil to London in exchange for advice on urban planning in Caracas, the Venezuelan capital.
Venezuela has signed similar agreements with cities in several other countries, including the United States. Critics call it "oil diplomacy" -- and say it is designed to embarrass President Bush, whom Chavez has repeatedly mocked.
"This arose out of the suggestion of President Hugo Chavez, and builds on the work he is doing around the world to tackle the problem of poverty," Livingstone said.
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http://www.boston.com/news/world/europe/articles/2007/02/20/london_mayor_inks_deal_for_venezuela_oil/