Venezuela and Iraq meet: What did they discuss?

The governments of Venezuela and Iraq agreed to boost bilateral cooperation in the areas of agriculture, scientific development, civil aeronautics, trade, energy, culture and national security, the Foreign Ministry reported on Wednesday. United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), in government.

In a press release, the party indicated that the agreement, of which it did not offer further details, was reached after a meeting between the Vice Minister for Asia, the Middle East and Oceania of Venezuela, Tatiana Pugh, and the Chargé d’Affaires of Iraq in Caracas, Khalid Kareem Zangana.

Pugh highlighted Iraq’s “resilience,” comparing it to that of Venezuelans, who “have overcome challenges imposed by American imperialism.”

He added that the shared values ​​of “sovereignty, self-determination and independence are fundamental to both nations.”

The Iraqi chargé d’affaires condemned the “interference of the United States in the internal affairs of Venezuela,” according to the press release.

In May last year, both countries reviewed their bilateral agreements on culture, tourism and air transport, following a meeting between the two officials.

The Venezuelan Foreign Ministry explained that during the meeting the diplomats “highlighted the historic relations of friendship and solidarity” between the two countries.

The Caribbean nation and Iraq established diplomatic relations in 1950 and, according to the Foreign Ministry, ties between the two nations deepened from 1960 onwards due to their similarities in energy matters as founding members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)..