CARACAS, February 1. /TASS/. Preparations for a working visit to Russia by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro were discussed at a meeting on January 30 with the South American country’s top diplomat, Yvan Gil Pinto, Russian Ambassador to Venezuela Sergey Melik-Bagdasarov told TASS.

"Thorough work is currently underway to pick dates for a meeting between the Russian and Venezuelan presidents, which would enable Maduro to visit Russia in a timeframe that would be convenient for both sides," the Russian diplomat said. "The Venezuelan president is set to visit our country, a plan that he has discussed not only during our meetings with him, but also on TV," Melik-Bagdasarov added, referring to the latest broadcast of the president’s television show, With Maduro Plus, on January 29.

According to the Russian diplomat, bilateral relations and arrangements for Maduro’s visit were discussed at the meeting with Foreign Minister Gil. Ahead of Maduro’s arrival, a Venezuelan delegation will attend the international forum of supporters of the fight against modern practices of neo-colonialism to be convened at the initiative of the ruling United Russia party later this month, he added.

Also upcoming is the arrival of Venezuelan participants in the World Youth Festival (WYF) to be held in February-March, Melik-Bagdasarov continued. "There is great interest [in Venezuela] in the BRICS Games [to be held] in Kazan, as well," he said.

Work toward Venezuela’s participation in the annual St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), scheduled for June 5-8 this year, has begun already, the diplomat disclosed. "We expect our Venezuelan partners not only to send a solid delegation of government officials, but also a delegation of businessmen who will be able to discuss the practical aspects of new joint projects," he explained.

The head of the Russian diplomatic mission in Caracas emphasized that he viewed the development of trade with Venezuela as one of his key goals, saying that "moving away from the use of the currencies of unfriendly nations" and transitioning to executing trade settlements in Venezuelan bolivars and Russian rubles was the most efficient instrument for achieving that goal.