Venezuela – Iran signs 20-year cooperation agreement

• • • Agriculture and food production
    • Direct flights between Venezuela and Tehran
    • Iran to repair the largest refinery complex in Venezuela

VENEZUELA / IRAN, (TeleSUR) – Venezuela signed cooperation agreements with the Islamic Republic of Iran, in the areas of agriculture and food production, announced president Nicolás Maduro, after holding a meeting with his Iranian counterpart Seyed Ebrahim Raisi, in the city of Teheran. In addition, the presidents signed a series of bilateral cooperation agreements in the political, cultural, economic, oil, petrochemical and tourism fields.

“I believe that between the two of us we will create an indestructible friendship for the future of our people and we will witness how our countries grow in the face of difficulties and how a new world is growing,” said president Maduro during a press conference.

Agriculture and food production

Alongside his Iranian counterpart, president Maduro pointed out that 70 percent of Iran’s territory is desert, so food production only takes place on 30 percent of its land.

In Venezuela there are 30 million cultivable hectares that allow not only to increase domestic food production, but also “to produce food for export to Iran and all this region of Asia”, he explained.

He pointed out that the technological alliance is a fundamental edge to increase production levels, based on Iran’s historical experience.

The head of state informed that joint projects will be promoted with Iran to produce food in Venezuela to supply the domestic market and to export to Iran and the Asian region. “It is essential to consolidate the sovereignty and food security of our country”, he emphasized.

Direct flights between Venezuela and Tehran

President Maduro ratified that as of July 18, the direct flight between Caracas and Tehran will open.

“Venezuela is open to receive tourism from Iran to enjoy the beauties of the Caribbean, South America, the Andes, the Amazon”, he emphasized during a joint statement offered at the Saad Abad Palace, located in Tehran.

For his part, Iranian president Raisi highlighted Caracas’ “exemplary resistance” to the aggressions and sanctions of the hegemonic powers and advocated strengthening ties with Venezuela.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran has always advocated maintaining relations with independent countries and Venezuela has made an exemplary resistance to the aggressions and sanctions imposed by the enemies,” led by the imperialist powers, he stressed.

The head of the Iranian government said that “in the last forty-odd years sanctions and threats against the Islamic Republic have been abundant, but Iran has chosen to turn these intimidations into opportunities for its development”.

He considered “a great victory for the Persian nation” the recognition by the White House of the “shameful failure” of the ‘maximum pressure’ campaign, promoted by the previous US administration, headed by Donald Trump, against the Islamic Republic.

He also highlighted the willingness of the people, the government and the president of Venezuela to overcome Western sanctions and aggressions.

He hailed the “success of the Bolivarian country in overcoming the hyperinflation caused as a consequence of the embargoes, imposed by the US, and countries of the West, currently registering a positive economic growth”.

“This is a good sign that shows that resistance always works and will push back the enemy,” Raisi stressed.

He highlighted the “strategic” relations between Tehran and Caracas and pointed out that the recently signed 20-year cooperation document between the two countries shows “the firm determination of the authorities of both nations to strengthen ties” in all areas.

Both nations, according to Raisi, have abundant opportunities for cooperation in different areas, including economic, energy, technical and engineering, military and defense, which can be used to develop bilateral ties.

Iran to repair the largest refinery complex in Venezuela

The Persian president also detailed that there is a high potential for the development of cooperation between the two brotherly countries in the science and technology sector, and both parties can also cooperate in oil, gas, petrochemicals and agriculture, among others.

The Persian president referred to the establishment of a direct flight between Tehran and Caracas and pointed out that it can also strengthen bilateral economic cooperation and deepen ties between the two nations.

Maduro arrived in Tehran at the head of a high-level political and economic delegation for a two-day official visit.