Venezuela’s President Says He Will Visit Iran ‘Soon’ To Speed Cooperation

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said he will visit Iran “soon” so that the two leaders can “meet in person, to hold conversations and sign new agreements … and speed up processes of cooperation.” Maduro made the announcement on Sunday, during an interview with satellite news broadcaster Al Mayadeen in Spanish. The interview was later broadcast on Venezuelan state television, Reuters reported. Maduro said he and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi agreed on further cooperation between the two countries and that they would meet in Tehran during two recent phone conversations. He did not give a date for his trip to Iran.

Iran and Venezuela have been working together to boost their respective oil industries, Venezuela has received needed equipment for its oil production from Iran, and has provided Iran with crude oil and other needed resources. Both Venezuela and Iran are under strict US sanctions.

Maduro said in the interview that Venezuela will work to reinstate cooperative relationships with other Arab countries. “They love us in the Arab world, I know that Arab governments and peoples love Venezuela,” he said.