The Venezuelan president met with his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi on Saturday at 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. At a joint conference after their meeting, the two welcomed the rise of bilateral relations to a “strategic” level and agreed that the two countries could strengthen trade ties outside the fields of energy, science and technology, agriculture. and tourism. The roadmap for co-operation, the exact details of which have not been revealed, was signed by the foreign ministers of the two countries in the presence of their respective presidents. Delegations from both countries discussed details of future co-operation, as leaders focused on mutual co-operation on economic issues amid crippling economic crises over sanctions. “The foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran has always been to have relations with independent countries, and Venezuela has shown incredible resistance to threats and sanctions from enemies and imperialism,” said Rice, who sits next to Maduro. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro arrive in Tehran for a meeting [President Website/WANA via Reuters] As Venezuela added, Iran has also faced US and other sanctions for decades, but chose to see them as an opportunity for the country to move forward. Rice said Iran has managed to break the policy of “maximum pressure” that Washington has begun since it unilaterally abandoned Iran’s nuclear deal in 2015 with world powers in 2018. Despite several rounds of talks, no significant progress has been made in reviving the landmark agreement, which would likely provide relief from sanctions in exchange for a reduction in Tehran’s nuclear program.
Direct flight between Tehran and Caracas
Maduro also praised Venezuela’s “resistance to sanctions and imperialism” since 2017, and said his country intends to use Iran’s experience in this area and focus future cooperation on science and technology. The Venezuelan president hailed Iran’s “miracles” in developing its agricultural sector amid historic droughts and said the two countries aim to develop ties in that sector. A direct flight between Tehran and Caracas will take place from July 18, Maduro said, expressing hope that it will help more Iranians consider Venezuela’s cities and natural landmarks as tourist destinations. “I believe our future will be one of pleasant and lasting friendships,” he said. “The future of the world is a future of equality and justice and the confrontation of imperialism. “We have to build this future together.” In an interview with Spanish state-run HispanTV on Friday, Maduro also praised Iran’s help in its dilapidated oil industry. Raisi, who had sent Oil Minister Javad Ouji to meet with Maduro earlier this year, promised on Saturday that co-operation would continue.
“We stand for American hegemony”
Since 2020, Iran has helped repair and repair some Venezuelan refineries that have suffered decades of mismanagement, low investment and sanctions. Hamed Mousavi, a professor of political science at Tehran University, said the two presidents sought to paint a picture of “resistance to American hegemony.” [Vahid Salemi/AP Photo] The countries also signed an oil swap deal last year, under which Iran sent shipments of its heavy crude to help Venezuela increase oil and gas production to avoid the fuel crises it has seen in recent years. Speaking from Tehran, Hamed Mousavi, a professor of political science at Tehran University, said both presidents tried to project a picture of “resistance to American hegemony.” “Such a strategy could be successful if other larger countries, such as China and Russia, were involved,” he told Al Jazeera. Stressing that the meeting of the joint delegation of Iran and Venezuela focused mainly on economic aspects, Mousavi said that the two countries will benefit from economic cooperation regardless of the fact that they remain under strict US sanctions. Iran signed a 25-year co-operation agreement with China last year, which it said “entered into force” earlier this year. He is also negotiating the renewal of a 20-year co-operation agreement with Russia, which was discussed during Rice’s visit to Moscow in January.
