Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said formation of a joint economic commission would greatly help expand Tehran-Caracas relations.
“The establishment of a joint economic commission between the two countries is an important step to further strengthen mutual cooperation (between Iran and Venezuela),” Rouhani said in a meeting with his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana on Sunday ahead of a summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
He also underlined the importance of more consultations among oil exporting countries, saying efforts by OPEC and non-OPEC countries, Venezuela in particular, have played an important role in balancing the global oil price and production.
In his turn, Maduro called for enhanced ties between Iran and Venezuela in various fields and said, “The formation of a joint economic commission could prepare the ground for (the two nations) to explore new opportunities and strengthen their cooperation.”
Elsewhere in his remarks, he noted that the Venezuelan nation would never buckle under US pressure and sanctions, saying, “We will resist foreign pressure (and sanctions) by maintaining our unity”.
Iran and Venezuela enjoy a high level of diplomatic ties and are known as allies, as both are opposed to the US policies.
While street riots and anti-government protests have escalated in Venezuela in recent months, Iran has voiced backing for Venezuela’s democratically elected government, saying Tehran supports talks between the government and the opposition for peaceful resolution of differences.