TEHRAN, April 1, YJC - Iran, Venezuela discussed ways to expand bilateral commercial exchanges.
![Iran, Venezuela stress boosting bilateral economic cooperation Iran, Venezuela stress boosting bilateral economic cooperation](/files/en/news/2017/4/1/30617_293.jpg)
TEHRAN, Young Journalists Club (YJC) - Iranian Ambassador to Caracas Mostafa A’laie and Venezuelan Minister of Trade and Foreign Investment Jesus Faria stressed more interactions between public and private sectors of the two countries in exports and imports, and expressed their respective countries’ readiness for supporting the sectors.
Last August, Iran and Venezuela signed 6 cooperation deals and agreed to increase economic cooperation, signing agreements between the two countries’ central banks and announcing a new dynamic era in bilateral relations.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro met Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif who was in Caracas on the last leg of a Latin America tour also taking him to Cuba, Bolivia, Chile, Nicaragua and Ecuador.
"We are advancing in our bilateral cooperation as well as in matters of mutual interest for economic development ... we are going to create a new dynamism in Venezuela-Iran relations," Maduro said in a ceremony broadcast on state television.
Maduro later announced the creation of a special commission to follow up on their bilateral deals. In June 2015, the Venezuelan government and a high-level delegation from the Islamic Republic of Iran inked six deals on scientific, technological, economic and health cooperation.
Iran and Venezuela have forged friendly relations based on their aversion to colonial US policies and determination to preserve their independence.
Zarif expressed Iran's interest in broadening cooperation with Venezuela and other Latin American countries, saying he was glad to consolidate economic ties between Caracas and Tehran.
Central bank authorities from the two countries signed an agreement on financial matters and Venezuelan foreign affairs chief Delcy Rodriguez said Caracas and Tehran were working to "continue strengthening" strategic alliances.
"The accord between the two central banks is the path to continue good relations. I am sure that with the accords signed tonight that we can increase and deepen our relations in a different field," Zarif said.
Maduro said Venezuela's oil minister and foreign minister would make announcements in the coming weeks about consensus with Iran on ways to stabilize oil market and strengthen OPEC.
"We continue to build common ground and a new consensus on stabilizing oil markets, strengthening industries, strengthening OPEC," he said.