Moscow  - Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega met with his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev Thursday on his first visit to Moscow in over two decades as Russia angles to restore a Soviet-era alliance in Latin America, traditionally a region of US influence.

"Russia wants to build robust, full-fledged and long-term relations with all of Latin America and such important partners as Nicaragua, in particular," Medvedev said.

In response, Ortega praised as a "model of upholding human rights" Russia's support for Georgia's two separatist regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, over which it fought a war in August.

Nicaragua is the only country to have followed Russia's lead and recognised the rebel regions as independent - a move roundly condemned by the West. Ortega said he may visit the provinces soon.

"I am sure that in the near future we will visit these two countries, which have brotherly ties with our nation and government," he was quoted by news agency Interfax as saying.

The Kremlin said talks with the left-wing Nicaraguan president focused on trade and economic relations as well as regional infrastructure investments and research projects in Latin America.

Ortega, 63, was a firm ally of the Soviet Union after gaining the presidency and fending off US-backed efforts to unseat him in the 1980s. He left office in 1990, but was re-elected in 2006.

Russian warships called in on Nicaragua on Saturday after holding exercises in the region dominated by the US that was seen as a retort to the US naval presence in the Black Sea during Russia's brief war with Georgia.

After a week-long tour of South America last month, Medvedev said Latin America was a region to which Moscow had "not paid much attention in recent years" and with which Moscow should "restore old relations" that existed with the Soviet Union. (dpa)