Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez, left, and his Angolan counterpart Jose Eduardo Dos Santos

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Angola's President Jose Eduardo dos Santos have signed a bilateral oil cooperation agreement.

The leaders signed the deal Thursday in Angola's capital Luanda during Mr. Chavez's first official visit to the southern African nation.

Venezuelan officials say they will offer Angola their country's oil expertise. 

The South American country is one the world's top five oil exporters.  Angola is Africa's second largest producer of oil, after Nigeria.  

Mr. Chavez also pledged to strengthen economic, social and political ties with Angola, and he expressed interest in opening an embassy. 

The Venezuelan president spent several hours in the country before departing late Thursday.  The visit marks the end of a world tour that also included stops in China and Syria.

Mr. Chavez has made a point of signing political and energy deals across the world, in an effort to counter-balance what he denounces as U.S. power and imperialism.

Some information for this report was provided by Reuters.