MOSCOW, February 6. /TASS/. Russia has been playing an important role in combating challenges the world community has been facing, Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez said in Moscow on Monday.
"The world community has been going through some serious challenges, so Russia has been playing a significant role in overcoming them," she said.
"Russia is a global player that maintains stability and order all around the world," Rodriguez stressed. "This allows us to develop very close cooperation in various spheres. This is not only about cooperation within the United Nations but also about interaction within other multilateral formats and at various international platforms."
On behalf of the Venezuelan president, Rodriguez conveyed gratitude to the people and authorities of Russia for supporting Venezuela.
"Russia has been ensuring peace and stability all over the world," she said. "Russia is a global player." According to Rodriguez, "as for diplomatic activities, Venezuela and Russia reject any kind of interference in other countries’ internal affairs and violation of the principle of self-determination." "This is the diplomacy that stands for a multipolar world and against interference in other countries’ interior affairs," the Venezuelan top diplomat elaborated.
"Russia has been taking part in reconfiguring global politics," she stressed.
Rodriguez welcomed the positive results of Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin’s visit to Venezuela pointing out that he was co-Chairman of the High-Level Inter-governmental Commission. "Our countries plan to boost cooperation in nuclear medicine and agriculture, there are also plans to cooperate in producing vaccines and medicine in Venezuela," she noted. According to the Venezuelan top diplomat, the two countries have also agreed to enhance cooperation in the resource-based industries.
Rodriguez said that she had briefed Lavrov on Venezuela’s return to the Kimberley process (a permanent interstate conference aimed at preventing diamonds mined in conflict zones from entering the mainstream rough diamond market). She expressed hope for cooperation with Russia in this sphere. "Another sphere for cooperation is tourism, a bilateral agreement is expected to be signed in the near future," the minister added.
She noted that Venezuela "condemns steps aimed at taking advantage of sports in order to achieve political goals, particularly aimed at targeting Russia." Caracas also condemns "the use of human rights-related issues to interfere in other countries’ interior affairs," Rodriguez said.
"First of all I would like to urge certain carefulness in assessing the internal political situation in Venezuela, because often labels emerge because of transitional mass media. They have an interesting policy regarding Venezuela," she said.
"As you already know, in recent years Venezuela has been a victim of attacks," she added.
"Venezuelan people are subject to financial and trade blockade, psychological war. There are different fabrications against our country," Rodriguez said.
"In this sense, I can confirm that the internal political situation in Venezuela is controlled by the Venezuelan government, the head of state and government are working. We fully use constitutional and legal base of our country," Rodriguez said.
"As for protection of Russia’s interests, of course, they are always guaranteed, as well as the interests of all countries, working in trade and economy of Venezuela, are guaranteed," the Minister said.
"I want to convey this message and to use this site, use the interest of the Russian media, which we deeply respect, to confirm that, although we are the victim of aggression, but as the state Venezuela controls the situation," head of the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry stressed.
Russia-Venezuela relations on rise
Relations between Russia and Venezuela are on the ascent, Lavrov said.
"Our relations are on the rise, the presidents communicate regularly and confidentially. The high-level commission, which oversees the entire array of multifaceted trade, economic and investment cooperation between Russia and Venezuela, is working," Lavrov said. "All this is important in view of the adverse trends in global economy, which is the main reason for the decline of our trade turnover."
"This work is coupled with our robust joint efforts, together with some other OPEC member-countries and non-OPEC countries, which, to a large extent, thanks to President Nicolas Maduro, are establishing cooperation in the global hydrocarbon markets," the minister emphasized.
"Bilateral relations in other areas are developing as well, including in the humanitarian and educational spheres," he went on to say. "We appreciate close cooperation between the two countries’ Foreign Ministries."
According to Lavrov, "this cooperation helps establish ties on international platforms, above all, at the UN, promote decisions aimed at improving international relations and their democratization, excluding the instances of dictating and ultimatums from international communication."
"We appreciate Venezuela’s sincere and valuable support to Russia in deepening our cooperation with the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States and with the integration associations on your continent on the whole," Russia’s top diplomat said, adding that he hopes to discuss all that in further detail later in the day.
Lavrov confirmed Russia’s solidarity with the friendly people of Venezuela as well as Moscow’s "strong support for the government’s course aimed at preventing the situation from deteriorating further, maintaining a nationwide dialogue based on Venezuela’s Constitution and other laws in order to overcome controversies in society."
"Without a doubt, steps aimed at improving the situation should be taken by Venezuela’s political forces while foreign pressure is unacceptable," Lavrov noted. "At the same time, it is very important to avoid artificially fueling tensions and protests which violate Venezuela’s laws and may lead to dangerous consequences for both Venezuela and its neighboring countries."
"We know that attempts at destabilizing the situation in various countries brought deplorable results," the Russian foreign minister stressed.