Russia Stresses Support for Venezuela’s Maduro

Date: 06 October 2019 - 21:26

News ID: ۷۱۳۶۸

CARACAS/MOSCOW (Dispatches) -- Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov met Nicolas Maduro to underline Moscow’s support for the Venezuelan leader that has helped him survive a Western "coup”.
Moscow has acted as a lender of last resort for Venezuela, with the government and oil giant Rosneft providing at least $17 billion in loans and credit lines since 2006.
Presiding over a meeting of the Russian-Venezuelan intergovernmental commission in Caracas with Borisov, Venezuelan Vice President Tareck El Aissami thanked Moscow, especially for facilitating oil shipments despite U.S. sanctions.
"Russian-Venezuelan relations are at their best moment and we’ve shown that in the middle of difficulties we can advance together, with efficient political and diplomatic coordination between both governments against the imperial siege and aggression which Russia also suffers,” he said.
Borisov reiterated Moscow’s support for Maduro against Western-backed opposition leader Juan Guaido who has illegally declared himself as president.
Increasing bilateral trade "is a demonstration that President Nicolas Maduro’s government is legitimate,” Borisov was quoted as saying by Venezuelan state media.
After later meeting Borisov at the Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas, Maduro said it had been "an extraordinary day” revising blossoming bilateral relations, especially in the oil, agriculture and military sectors.
Russia’s agreements with the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to regulate the global energy market "are going perfectly” and have promoted market equilibrium and price stability despite the recent attacks on Saudi Arabia’s oil infrastructure, Maduro added in comments carried by state TV.
The Venezuelan leader and Russian President Vladimir Putin had briefly discussed Caracas’ debt obligations to Russia during Maduro’s visit to Moscow last month.
The meeting between Maduro and the Russian official happened days after Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev visited Cuba, an ally of Venezuela.
Medvedev said Moscow would find ways to help Cuba secure supplies of oil and petroleum products.
A flotilla of shipments from Venezuela gave Cuba some respite this week amid  pressing fuel problems, which have seen the government extend many of the energy-saving measures it has introduced over the past month.