MOSCOW, April 19. /TASS/. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is very interested in a personal meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin and preparations for his visit to Russia are underway, Venezuelan Ambassador to Moscow Jesus Rafael Salazar Velasquez told reporters.

"President Nicolas Maduro is very interested and willing to come here to greet his friend, President Vladimir Putin, and congratulate him personally, as well as to continue boosting our exchanges and our strategic relations, and sign important documents. However, we are still in the planning process," the diplomat noted.

According to him, work is underway to organize the visit but no dates have been set yet. "Everything will depend on when both heads of state have time to hold a meeting," the envoy noted.