CARACAS, March 18. /TASS/. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has congratulated incumbent Russian President Vladimir Putin on winning the country’s presidential election, the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

According to Russia’s Central Election Commission, Putin is winning the election with 87.34% of the vote after over half of the ballots counted.

"On behalf of the Venezuelan people, President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro congratulates President Vladimir Putin and his political movement on the landslide election win and his reelection as Russia’s president for 2024-30. We pay tribute to the Russian people for their deep commitment to democracy, which was reflected by their broad participation in the vote," the statement reads.

Caracas points out that "the unity of the Russian people and Vladimir Putin’s leadership are the basis of Russia’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, as well as political stability and international security."

"Venezuela is expressing its unconditional intention to continue working closely in a strategic alliance [with Russia] in order to boost cooperation for the benefit of common interests and facilitate efforts to build a multipolar world order in the spirit of justice, equality and peace," the ministry added.