MOSCOW  President Dmitri A. Medvedev said Friday that Russia planned to build the first nuclear power plant in Venezuela, and that the United States should not object because Russia’s intentions were “absolutely pure and open.”

The deal was announced during a state visit to Moscow by Venezuela’s president, Hugo Chávez, and is in keeping with a push by Russian businesses to expand sales of reactors and nuclear fuel around the world. Just in August, Russia completed work on Iran’s first nuclear power plant.

“I don’t know who will shudder at this,” Mr. Medvedev said at a meeting with Mr. Chávez, coyly noting the possibility of American concerns about transferring nuclear technology to Mr. Chávez’s government, which has long been at odds with the United States. Venezuela, like Iran, is brimming with energy from oil and natural gas, possibly raising concerns about its motives.

“The president said there will be countries in which this will provoke different emotions, but I want to say specially that our intentions are absolutely pure and open,” Mr. Medvedev said.