Iran and Venezuela signed a 20-year “cooperation road map” during a state visit by President Nicolas Maduro to Tehran as the two oil-rich countries reeling under US sanctions pledged to boost bilateral ties.
The Venezuelan president met his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raeisi on Saturday at the Saadabad Palace in Tehran, a day after arriving in the Iranian capital with a high-level political and economic delegation on a two-day trip.
In a joint conference following their meeting, the two hailed raising bilateral relations to the “strategic” level and agreed both countries can boost ties in trade in addition to the energy, science and technology, agriculture and tourism sectors.
The cooperation roadmap, the exact details of which have been kept under wraps, was signed by the foreign ministers of the two nations in the presence of their respective presidents.
The delegations from both countries discussed details of the future cooperation, as the leaders focused on issues of mutual cooperation on economic issues amid crippling economic crises because of sanctions.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran’s foreign policy has always been to have relations with independent countries, and Venezuela showed that it has had incredible resistance against threats and sanctions by enemies and imperialism,” Raeisi said, sitting next to Maduro.
Like Venezuela, he added, Iran has also faced sanctions by the US and others for decades, but has chosen to regard them as an opportunity to move the country forward.
Raeisi said Iran has been successful in breaking the “maximum pressure” policy that Washington has embarked on since unilaterally abandoning Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers in 2018.
Direct flight between Tehran and Caracas
Maduro also praised Venezuela’s “resistance against sanctions and imperialism” since 2017, and said his country aims to use Iran’s experiences in this area and will centre future cooperation on science and technology.
The Venezuelan president hailed Iran’s “miracles” in developing its agriculture sector amid historic droughts, and said the two countries aimed to develop ties in this sector.
A direct flight between Tehran and Caracas will be established from July 18, Maduro announced, expressing hope it will help more Iranians consider Venezuelan cities and natural landmarks as tourist destinations.
“I believe that our future will be one of the pleasing and solid friendships,” he said. “The future of the world is one of equality and justice and standing up against imperialism. We must build this future together.”
In an interview with state-run Spanish-language HispanTV on Friday, Maduro had also praised Iran’s help with its dilapidated oil industry.
President Raeisi, who had sent his petroleum minister Javad Owji to meet with Maduro earlier this year, on Saturday promised cooperation will continue.
Following the meetings, Raeisi and Maduro attended a ceremony via video link, during which Iran officially delivered the second of four Aframax oil tankers ordered by Venezuela.
Built by a state company, the Aframax is reportedly 250 metres long and can carry up to 800,000 barrels of oil.