Russia, Venezuela top diplomats to discuss international, bilateral issues in Moscow

MOSCOW, May 27. /TASS/. International issues and development of bilateral relations will feature high on the agenda of Wednesday’s meeting in Moscow between the foreign ministers of Russia and Venezuela, the Russian Foreign Ministry said. Talks between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Venezuelan counterpart Delcy Rodriguez "have been called upon to provide a fresh impetus to the entire complex of Russia-Venezuela relations and reaffirm the sides’ mutual efforts to continue developing the strategic partnership between Moscow and Caracas," the ministry said, adding that Russia cherished the memory of Venezuela's late President Hugo Chavez "who played an active role in laying their foundations". Russian diplomats stressed that Moscow was grateful to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro for his participation in the May 9 celebrations marking the 70th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two and for his high assessment of the Soviet people’s decisive contribution to defeating fascism. Russia and Venezuela "are against any attempts to enforce dictate in world affairs and are firmly upholding the principles of a multilateral approach and the supremacy of international law with the UN’s coordinating role in maintaining peace and security", a ministry statement said. Moscow and Caracas are productively cooperating in the United Nations Security Council, to which Venezuela was elected for 2015 and 2016), the United Nations Human Rights Council and other international agencies, it added. The foreign ministries of the two countries are engaged in intensive dialogue, Russian diplomats said, noting that "we are carrying out the 2015-2018 plan for foreign minister contacts". The Russian ministry emphasised Venezuela’s "tangible role" in the development of Latin American integration, which "is especially important on the backdrop of the trend towards the region’s growing role in international affairs". Two-way trade reached $11.2 billion last year, the ministry said, adding that Russian companies such as Gazprom, Rosneft, Inter RAO UES and KAMAZ were active on the Venezuelan market. Investment cooperation between the two countries is based on joint energy projects, primarily the development of oil and gas deposits, it said. Venezuelan Foreign Minister Rodriguez said on Tuesday that Moscow and Caracas reached a new qualitative level in various spheres of bilateral cooperation. Addressing the 11th annual session of the Russian-Venezuelan Intergovernmental Commission in Moscow, Rodriguez said a total of 250 agreements had been signed between Russia and Venezuela in the course of the commission’s eleven years on work. "We have reached a new mature level of relations in various spheres of cooperation, particularly in energy sector," she said. "Major Russian companies are participating in the production of oil and natural gas on the territory of Venezuela." Venezuela’s top diplomat noted that that the agriculture, military and technical interaction and transportation were important spheres of cooperation between both countries. "This cooperation became possible due to the highest level of our strategic political dialogue," she said. Rodriguez also said she believed Venezuela and Russia shared the same stance on a range of international issues, with both Moscow and Caracas "speaking in support of non-interference in domestic affairs of sovereign countries and for the principle of the sovereignty equality." Commenting on Venezuela’s domestic situation, the Russian Foreign Ministry expressed "solidarity with the friendly Venezuelan people who are experiencing domestic political and socio-economic difficulties" and its "firm support for the government’s course aimed at preventing destabilisation and establishing a nation-wide dialogue to overcome the existing difficulties in line with the constitution and without destructive outside interference". Read more