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Russia, Venezuela cooperate to expand air travel — tourism minister

Ali Padron highlighted that the conditions are favorable for expanding air services, supported by a bilateral cooperation agreement

ST. PETERSBURG, June 6. /TASS/. Moscow and Caracas are working together to expand bilateral air travel, Venezuela’s Minister of Tourism Ali Padron told TASS on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov discussed "the expansion of cooperation, including in the field of passenger flights," with President of the South American country Nicolas Maduro. "Besides flights from Moscow to Margarita Island and Caracas, [they discussed launching flights] from St. Petersburg and Kazan. Efforts are currently underway between the respective groups, and negotiations with tour operators are in progress to organize flights from other Russian cities to Venezuela," the minister said.

Padron highlighted that the conditions are favorable for expanding air services, supported by a bilateral cooperation agreement. Both Maduro and Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasized the importance of "expanding ties" between their countries. Efforts are underway to improve air and sea transport links.

Padron quoted the Venezuelan leader as calling tourism a "secret weapon" of Venezuela. He explained that the South American country boasts an "enormous potential for tourism development" due to its biodiversity, strategic location, and rich cultural traditions.

The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum takes place on June 5-8. This year’s theme will be "The Formation of New Areas of Growth as the Cornerstone of a Multipolar World." Scheduled events include meetings for small and medium-sized businesses, creative industries, the SPIEF Youth Day, as well as the Drug Security, SPIEF Academy and SPIEF Junior forums. SPIEF is organized by the Roscongress Foundation. TASS is the information partner of the event.

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