Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro (left) shaking hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) during the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan, on Wednesday, October 23, 2024. Photo: Agencies.
The presidents of Russia and Venezuela, Vladimir Putin and Nicolás Maduro, have met during the 16th BRICS Summit, which is being held in the Russian city of Kazan from October 22 to 24.
The meeting was held on the second day of the Summit this Wednesday, October 23, and took place in an expanded delegation format for the first time, involving representatives of the energy sector. “I know that our Venezuelan friends are very close to the fundamental values on which the BRICS are built,” Putin said after the start of the meeting. The Russian leader asserted that “it is very important to establish relations in the financial and banking areas based on settlements in national currencies.”
“Russia and Venezuela are working together to build a new, fairer world order,” the Russian head of state continued, “based on the rule of law, and the inadmissibility of neocolonial approaches, interference in the internal affairs of states, and political and financial pressure.”
“I remember well our previous meeting in Moscow in 2019,” he added, addressing President Maduro. “I am glad that you were able to come to Kazan and personally take part in the work of the summit.”
A reliable partner
“Venezuela is one of Russia’s reliable partners in Latin America and the world as a whole,” Putin said. “The strategic partnership between our countries continues to strengthen.”
“Mutually beneficial cooperation is developing in all areas, and numerous projects have been agreed to in the areas of energy, pharmaceuticals, transport, and enabling peace,” the Russian president explained. “It would be great to see these continue to develop.”
“We appreciate that Venezuela shares our assessment of the current international situation and has consistently provided its support in the face of hybrid warfare and Russophobic campaigns,” Putin said. He noted that he knows how Venezuela defends its sovereignty “consistently and without concessions. We are certainly on its side and support its efforts in this regard,” he added.
Maduro: We are prepared to continue receiving Russian investment
“Venezuela is prepared to continue receiving international investment from Russia and thus continue strengthening bilateral trade,” said President Nicolás Maduro, highlighting the fact that his country has the material capacity to deepen the alliance, in all fields, between business sectors of both nations.
“Our entire delegation is prepared to move forward on issues of bilateral cooperation,” President Maduro emphasized, while recalling that the joint Russia-Venezuela intergovernmental commission will meet on November 7, which has “a solid established path to follow.”
The head of state noted that Russia and Venezuela have built indestructible political and moral ties that have been put to the test in recent years, across various scenarios.
The Venezuelan president highlighted the battle that the Eurasian giant is waging against fascism and the victories it has obtained in the battles it has fought on the economic, scientific, cultural, military, political, and diplomatic fronts. “We are very proud of our friendship with you and with Russia. We are prepared to continue moving forward,” President Maduro added.
On Wednesday, the Venezuelan president also held meetings with the Belarusian president, Alexander Lukashenko; with the Ethiopian prime minister, Abiy Ahmed Ali; with the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan; and with the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas.
Maduro arrived in the Eurasian country on Tuesday. In his statements, he said that it is the first time that a Venezuelan president has attended a summit of heads of state of the BRICS. “It is a historic occasion,” the head of state commented.
Translation by Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/AU
