Russia, Venezuela reach new level of bilateral cooperation - Venezuelan top diplomat

MOSCOW, May 26. /TASS/. Russia and Venezuela reached a new qualitative level in various spheres of bilateral cooperation, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez said on Tuesday addressing the 11th annual session of the Russian-Venezuelan Intergovernmental Commission in Moscow. Venezuela’s top diplomat said a total of 250 agreements have been signed between Russia and Venezuela in the course of the commission’s 11 years on work. "We have reached a new mature level of relations in various spheres of cooperation, particularly inn energy sector," Rodriguez said. "Major Russian companies are participating in the production of oil and natural gas on the territory of Venezuela." The minister said 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," the high-ranking Venezuelan diplomat said. According to Rodrigues, Venezuela and Russia share 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." She said that Venezuela earlier "completely supported Minsk Accords, which brought peace to Ukraine." "We also share the same stance on the inadmissibility of resorting to such measures as unilateral sanctions in international relations," Rodrigues said. Rodrigues also recalled Venezuelan President Nikolas Maduro’s visit to Moscow for May 9 festivities commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Soviet Victory over the Nazi Germany in World War II saying that it coincided with the 70th anniversary since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and Venezuela. "Russia may count on Venezuela as on its strategic partner," Rodriguez said. "This is how it will always be." Read more