Senior US Diplomat To Visit Ecuador To Launch Talks On Security, Migration - State Dept.

US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale will travel to Ecuador to launch talks on security and migration issues with leaders of the South American country, the State Department said in a press release on Tuesday

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st May, 2019) US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale will travel to Ecuador to launch talks on security and migration issues with leaders of the South American country, the State Department said in a press release on Tuesday.

"Under Secretary David Hale will travel to Ecuador May 22-23 to strengthen our growing bilateral partnership," the release said. "He will meet with President Lenin Moreno and Minister of Foreign Affairs Jose Valencia and launch the new Bilateral Political Dialogue that President Moreno and Vice President Pence agreed to during Vice President Pence's visit to Quito in June 2018."

The dialogue will focus on areas of mutual interest, including democracy, transparency, security, regional issues and migration, the release said.

While in Ecuador, the under secretary will signed bilateral agreements to promote security, education and the protection of cultural property, the release added.

Moreno has said that Ecuador is taking in around 6,000 Venezuelan migrants daily as they flee their crisis-hit country.

Ecuador is among the states that have recognized Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido as the country's interim president and recognized his diplomatic representative in the country. However, the Venezuelan embassy in Quito is still led by the diplomats appointed by the government of President Nicolas Maduro.

The department said that Hale will also meet with university students to reinforce cultural and educational cooperation between the US and Ecuador.

Venezuela has been plunged into severe unrest since January this year, after US-backed opposition leader Juan Guaido proclaimed himself "interim president." Maduro accuses the United States of trying to orchestrate a coup in order to install Guaido as its puppet and take over Venezuela's natural resources.