Venezuela's Maduro Intends To Visit Russia To Sign New Agreements - Foreign Minister

UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th July, 2019) Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro plans to visit Russia sometimes this year to conclude new agreements, Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza told reporters at the United Nations.

"Russia is very important for us, and of course we will be receiving delegations from Russia and sending delegations to Russia, and, at some point, I am sure, this year, President Maduro is going to go to Moscow and sign new agreements with the Russian government and institutions," Arreaza said on Wednesday.

Arreaza noted that the Venezuelan government maintains contacts at all levels with the Russian government given the excellent bilateral relations in various fields.

"There are always many topics to discuss with President Putin - one of our main allies and partners in many fields... so we must always be in touch, [and] we are in touch at all the levels of diplomacy in Russia, and we inform in real-time what happens in Venezuela," Arreaza said.

Venezuela is experiencing a political-economic crisis that intensified in January after US-backed opposition leader Juan Guaido proclaimed himself interim president in a bid to oust actual President Nicolas Maduro. The United States recognized Guaido and started imposing sanctions on Venezuela and freezing billions of Dollars of Venezuela's assets.

Russia, which recognizes Maduro as the sole legitimate president of Venezuela, has said the United States is strangling the country with sanctions in an attempt to drag it into chaos.

Maduro has called Guaido a US puppet and accused the United States of orchestrating a coup in Venezuela to force a change of government and claim the country's vast natural resources.