The Chinese communication giant ZTE Corporation and Spanish telecom operator Telefonica announced on Wednesday that a full range of "Movistar" branded handsets will be launched in 12 Latin American countries this year.

The two companies have signed an agreement for ZTE to manufacture the above handsets exclusively available for Telefonica in Latin America, in their first strategic cooperation in the handsets space.

The handsets will be available during 2010 starting in the second quarter in Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Guatemala, El Salvador, Panama and Nicaragua.

"Consumers in Latin America are becoming increasingly demanding and have specific requirements in terms of handset design and desired features," said Luis Miguel Gilperez, director of Mobile Business, Telefonica Internacional.

"By customizing a complete range of handsets, ZTE will enable Telefonica to meet the requirements of its Latin American customers and further build the Movistar brand," he said.

ZTE is the world's 6th largest mobile phone manufacturer and the world's second largest supplier of data cards. By the end of last year, the company had cooperated with eight of the world's top 10 operators in the handsets space.