ZCZC
BCN-15
RUSSIA-VENEZUELA-TRADE-INVESTMENT
Russia and Venezuela outline steps to strengthen trade and investment ties
MOSCOW, Mar 2, 2019 (BSS/TASS) – Moscow and Caracas have outlined joint
steps to expand and strengthen trade, economic and investment ties, Russian
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told a press conference following talks with
Venezuela’s Executive Vice President Delsy Rodriguez.
“Russia will continue to assist the Venezuelan authorities in solving
social and economic problems, in particular through the provision of
legitimate humanitarian assistance,” Lavrov said.
“We believe that the best way to help Venezuelans is to expand practical,
pragmatic mutually beneficial interaction. In this context we have outlined
steps that are aimed at strengthening trade, investment, industrial,
financial ties in order to develop the agreements that were reached by
Presidents Vladimir Putin and Nicolas Maduro in December last year in
Moscow,” he went on.
According to the Russian Foreign Minister, at the talks the parties
discussed preparations for the 14th meeting of the high-level
intergovernmental commission, which is scheduled for early April this year in
Moscow.
“We agreed to use this event for a substantive discussion of the prospects
for the implementation of large projects in geological exploration, subsoil
use, as well as joint initiatives in the field of pharmaceuticals,
information technology, nuclear medicine, peaceful space and in the field of
military-technical cooperation,” he said.
The Russian minister stressed that it is “inadmissible” to politicize the
humanitarian aid to Venezuela.
“The aspects of providing such assistance should be resolved in line with
commonly accepted international rules, and should not serve as a pretext for
manipulating public opinion, mobilizing anti-government forces and for
justifying interventionist plots,” he stressed.
According to him, the Venezuelan government is ready to cooperate on
humanitarian issues with the relevant UN agencies.
BSS/TASS/1455