By Chang-Ran Kim
TOKYO (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez supported on Tuesday a call by U.S. President Barack Obama for a conflict-free 21st century, but added that the United States should apologise to Japan for the atomic bombs dropped at the end of World War Two.
"Obama said about 48 hours ago that the 20th century was a century of conflicts, and that the new century should be one of peace. That was a good statement," Chavez told a news conference in Japan, in the latest conciliatory statement ahead of an Americas Summit next week.
Japan is ambivalent about atomic weapons, being the only country to have suffered nuclear attacks, but since World War Two has benefited from the protection of the nuclear-armed United States.
Chavez said on Sunday he wanted to reset relations with Washington after nearly a decade of tension, but in Tokyo he also dismissed Obama's views on Venezuela as those of a "newbie" and he was wary after the previous administration of President George W. Bush, whom he labelled as immoral and unethical.
Obama is scheduled to attend the April 17-19 Americas Summit in Trinidad and Tobago and Chavez is also expected to attend.
Though Venezuela provides around 10 percent of U.S. oil imports, the OPEC nation for years maintained a harsh war of words with the Bush administration.
Chavez noted that, despite the long-running diplomatic rows, the United States remained the single biggest foreign investor in Venezuela.
"Anything is possible," Chavez said of dealings with Washington, including an approach to the United States seeking closer relations.
Japan and Venezuela agreed on Monday on cooperation in developing oil and gas projects in the Latin American nation, deepening bilateral ties to help diversify sources of energy for the resource-poor Asian country.
In one of the projects, state-affiliated Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corp (JOGMEC), Inpex Corp and Mitsubishi Corp will pursue a joint feasibility study with Venezuela on the Orinoco oil belt over the next two years.
Chavez said this project would be worth $8 billion (5.4 billion pounds) over the next five years and projects signed with Japan would be worth $33.5 billion in investment for Venezuela.
Chavez took a cautious stance on North Korea's weekend rocket test, calling for patience and caution.
(Writing by Rodney Joyce; Editing by Jerry Norton)