{"id":5936,"date":"2023-04-19T11:20:14","date_gmt":"2023-04-19T11:20:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/londonpost.news\/?p=5936"},"modified":"2023-04-19T11:20:14","modified_gmt":"2023-04-19T11:20:14","slug":"russian-f-m-visits-venezuela-brazil-concludes-bilateral-agreements","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/americas\/russian-f-m-visits-venezuela-brazil-concludes-bilateral-agreements\/2023\/04\/19\/admin1\/","title":{"rendered":"Russian F.M Visits Venezuela, Brazil concludes bilateral agreements"},"content":{"rendered":"

CARACAS<\/span>\u00a0(AFP)<\/span> -Russia has speeded up its bilateral relations with Brazil and Venezuela.<\/span>\u00a0Russia<\/span> and<\/span> Venezuela<\/span> agreed<\/span>\u00a0in<\/span> talks<\/span> with<\/span> top<\/span> diplomats<\/span> and<\/span> other<\/span> senior<\/span> officials<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> South<\/span> American<\/span> country<\/span> to<\/span> finalize<\/span> hundreds<\/span> of<\/span> bilateral<\/span> agreements<\/span> covering<\/span> finance,<\/span> energy,<\/span> agriculture<\/span> and<\/span> other<\/span> sectors.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Russian<\/span> Foreign<\/span> Minister<\/span> Sergey<\/span> Lavrov<\/span> and<\/span> Venezuelan<\/span> Foreign<\/span> Minister<\/span> Ivan<\/span> Gil<\/span> held<\/span> a<\/span> joint<\/span> press<\/span> conference<\/span> hours<\/span> after<\/span> Lavrov<\/span> arrived<\/span> in<\/span> Caracas<\/span> as<\/span> the<\/span> second<\/span> destination<\/span> of<\/span> his<\/span> four<\/span> Latin<\/span> American<\/span> trip.<\/span> The<\/span> two<\/span> pledged<\/span> continued<\/span> support<\/span> for<\/span> each<\/span> other’s<\/span> countries<\/span> and<\/span> condemned<\/span> the<\/span> economic<\/span> sanctions<\/span> Washington<\/span> has<\/span> imposed<\/span> on<\/span> them.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>“We<\/span> fully<\/span> support<\/span> the<\/span> position<\/span> of<\/span> our<\/span> Venezuelan<\/span> friends,”<\/span> Lavrov<\/span> said.<\/span> “It’s<\/span> their<\/span> country…<\/span> In<\/span> any<\/span> way,<\/span> we<\/span> will<\/span> help<\/span> the<\/span> Venezuelan<\/span> economy<\/span> become<\/span> independent<\/span> from<\/span> the<\/span> pressures<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> United<\/span> States<\/span> and<\/span> other<\/span> Western<\/span> countries.<\/span> “<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Lavrov’s<\/span> remarks<\/span> were<\/span> translated<\/span> from<\/span> Russian<\/span> into<\/span> Spanish<\/span> by<\/span> a<\/span> government-provided<\/span> translator.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Officials<\/span> reviewed<\/span> some<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> hundreds<\/span> of<\/span> agreements<\/span> between<\/span> the<\/span> two<\/span> countries<\/span> covering<\/span> finance,<\/span> energy,<\/span> agriculture<\/span> and<\/span> other<\/span> areas.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Gil<\/span> and<\/span> Lavrov,<\/span> who<\/span> are<\/span> scheduled<\/span> to<\/span> meet<\/span> with<\/span> Venezuelan<\/span> President<\/span> Nicolas<\/span> Maduro,<\/span> said<\/span> their<\/span> country<\/span> is<\/span> developing<\/span> an<\/span> alternative<\/span> to<\/span> SWIFT,<\/span> a<\/span> system<\/span> that<\/span> enables<\/span> global<\/span> financial<\/span> transactions.<\/span> Those<\/span> banks<\/span> were<\/span> closed<\/span> as<\/span> part<\/span> of<\/span> economic<\/span> sanctions<\/span> imposed<\/span> on<\/span> Russia<\/span> at<\/span> the<\/span> start<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> war<\/span> in<\/span> Ukraine<\/span> last<\/span> year.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Alongside<\/span> China,<\/span> Russia<\/span> is<\/span> an<\/span> unconditional<\/span> ally<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> Venezuelan<\/span> government.<\/span> With<\/span> his<\/span> support,<\/span> he<\/span> was<\/span> able<\/span> to<\/span> avoid<\/span> crippling<\/span> economic<\/span> sanctions<\/span> aimed<\/span> at<\/span> deporting<\/span> Maduro.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Falling<\/span> global<\/span> oil<\/span> prices<\/span> and<\/span> government<\/span> mismanagement<\/span> over<\/span> the<\/span> past<\/span> decade<\/span> have<\/span> plunged<\/span> Venezuela<\/span> into<\/span> political,<\/span> social<\/span> and<\/span> economic<\/span> crisis.<\/span> This<\/span> crisis<\/span> has<\/span> characterized<\/span> President<\/span> Maduro’s<\/span> entire<\/span> tenure.<\/span> The<\/span> crisis<\/span> has<\/span> prompted<\/span> the<\/span> Trump<\/span> administration<\/span> to<\/span> make<\/span> ousting<\/span> Maduro<\/span> one<\/span> of<\/span> its<\/span> top<\/span> foreign<\/span> policy<\/span> priorities<\/span> and<\/span> apply<\/span> economic<\/span> sanctions<\/span> to<\/span> Venezuela’s<\/span> state-owned<\/span> energy<\/span> company<\/span> to<\/span> drain<\/span> the<\/span> country’s<\/span> most<\/span> precious<\/span> resource,<\/span> oil.<\/span> from<\/span> several<\/span> western<\/span> markets.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>The<\/span> Biden<\/span> administration<\/span> has<\/span> lifted<\/span> some<\/span> sanctions<\/span> and<\/span> is<\/span> open<\/span> to<\/span> easing<\/span> sanctions,<\/span> including<\/span> a<\/span> promise<\/span> not<\/span> to<\/span> ban<\/span> candidates<\/span> from<\/span> opposition<\/span> primary<\/span> elections<\/span> later<\/span> this<\/span> year,<\/span> in<\/span> exchange<\/span> for<\/span> concrete<\/span> moves<\/span> by<\/span> President<\/span> Maduro.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>\u201cWe<\/span> have<\/span> not<\/span> seen<\/span> any<\/span> easing<\/span> of<\/span> sanctions,\u201d<\/span> Gill<\/span> told<\/span> reporters.<\/span> Relief<\/span> measures<\/span> already<\/span> in<\/span> place<\/span> by<\/span> the<\/span> U.S.<\/span> government<\/span> include<\/span> allowing<\/span> oil<\/span> giant<\/span> Chevron<\/span> to<\/span> resume<\/span> restricted<\/span> oil<\/span> production<\/span> in<\/span> Venezuela<\/span> on<\/span> a<\/span> six-month<\/span> trial<\/span> basis<\/span> and<\/span> removing<\/span> First<\/span> Lady<\/span> Syria<\/span> from<\/span> the<\/span> list<\/span> of<\/span> sanctioned<\/span> persons.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Lavrov<\/span> kicked<\/span> off<\/span> his<\/span> Latin<\/span> American<\/span> tour<\/span> with<\/span> a<\/span> stop<\/span> in<\/span> Brazil<\/span> on<\/span> Monday.<\/span> In<\/span> Brazil,<\/span> the<\/span> government<\/span> of<\/span> President<\/span> Luis<\/span> In\u00e1cio<\/span> Lula<\/span> da<\/span> Silva<\/span> seeks<\/span> to<\/span> simultaneously<\/span> build<\/span> ties<\/span> with<\/span> China,<\/span> Europe<\/span> and<\/span> the<\/span> United<\/span> States<\/span> while<\/span> keeping<\/span> the<\/span> door<\/span> open<\/span> to<\/span> Russia.<\/span> During<\/span> a<\/span> visit<\/span> to<\/span> Dubai,<\/span> Lula<\/span> said<\/span> Russia<\/span> and<\/span> Ukraine<\/span> share<\/span> responsibility<\/span> for<\/span> the<\/span> war.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Lavrov<\/span> also<\/span> plans<\/span> to<\/span> visit<\/span> Cuba<\/span> and<\/span> Nicaragua<\/span> this<\/span> week.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Even<\/span> before<\/span> Venezuela<\/span> united<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> fight<\/span> against<\/span> sanctions,<\/span> it<\/span> had<\/span> close<\/span> ties<\/span> with<\/span> Russia,<\/span> buying<\/span> helicopters,<\/span> fighter<\/span> jets<\/span> and<\/span> Kalashnikov<\/span> rifles<\/span> for<\/span> millions<\/span> of<\/span> dollars.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Earlier this,Russia’s<\/span> foreign<\/span> minister<\/span> met<\/span> with<\/span> Brazilian<\/span> President<\/span> Luis<\/span> Inacio<\/span> Lula<\/span> da<\/span> Silva<\/span>,<\/span> and<\/span> Washington<\/span> criticized<\/span> recent<\/span> comments<\/span> by<\/span> South<\/span> American<\/span> leaders<\/span> about<\/span> US<\/span> support<\/span> for<\/span> Ukraine’s<\/span> defense.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Lula<\/span> has<\/span> just<\/span> returned<\/span> from<\/span> a<\/span> trip<\/span> to<\/span> China<\/span> and<\/span> the<\/span> United<\/span> Arab<\/span> Emirates,<\/span> during<\/span> which<\/span> he<\/span> alarmed<\/span> the<\/span> West<\/span> by<\/span> accusing<\/span> the<\/span> US<\/span> of<\/span> “facilitating<\/span> war”<\/span> in<\/span> Ukraine.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>He<\/span> also<\/span> said<\/span> that<\/span> the<\/span> United<\/span> States<\/span> and<\/span> Europe<\/span> “must<\/span> start<\/span> talking<\/span> about<\/span> peace”,<\/span> and<\/span> that<\/span> in<\/span> February<\/span> 2022<\/span> Russian<\/span> forces<\/span> would<\/span> invade<\/span> Ukraine,<\/span> turning<\/span> the<\/span> democratically<\/span> elected<\/span> government<\/span> and<\/span> Ukraine’s<\/span> annexes<\/span> into<\/span> pro-Western<\/span> powers.<\/span> He<\/span> said<\/span> Kiev<\/span> was<\/span> responsible<\/span> for<\/span> the<\/span> conflict<\/span> that<\/span> began<\/span> when<\/span> it<\/span> was<\/span> overthrown.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>His<\/span> comments<\/span> echo<\/span> the<\/span> language<\/span> commonly<\/span> used<\/span> by<\/span> Moscow<\/span> and<\/span> Beijing<\/span> to<\/span> blame<\/span> the<\/span> West<\/span> for<\/span> the<\/span> war.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Despite<\/span> Lula’s<\/span> comments<\/span> about<\/span> the<\/span> United<\/span> States,<\/span> the<\/span> 77-year-old,<\/span> who<\/span> returned<\/span> to<\/span> power<\/span> in<\/span> January<\/span> after<\/span> serving<\/span> two<\/span> terms<\/span> from<\/span> 2003<\/span> to<\/span> 2010,<\/span> is<\/span> also<\/span> seeking<\/span> closer<\/span> ties<\/span> with<\/span> Washington.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>His<\/span> visit<\/span> to<\/span> China<\/span> and<\/span> the<\/span> UAE,<\/span> postponed<\/span> by<\/span> a<\/span> bout<\/span> of<\/span> pneumonia,<\/span> came<\/span> after<\/span> a<\/span> White<\/span> House<\/span> meeting<\/span> in<\/span> February<\/span> with<\/span> US<\/span> President<\/span> Joe<\/span> Biden.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Lavrov<\/span> Latin<\/span> America<\/span> tour<\/span><\/strong>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Brazil<\/span> has<\/span> not<\/span> joined<\/span> Western<\/span> nations<\/span> in<\/span> imposing<\/span> sanctions<\/span> on<\/span> Russia<\/span> for<\/span> its<\/span> invasion,<\/span> and<\/span> has<\/span> refused<\/span> requests<\/span> to<\/span> supply<\/span> ammunition<\/span> to<\/span> Ukraine.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Lavrov’s<\/span> trip<\/span> to<\/span> Brazil<\/span> comes<\/span> after<\/span> Lula’s<\/span> top<\/span> foreign<\/span> policy<\/span> adviser,<\/span> Celso<\/span> Amorim,<\/span> met<\/span> with<\/span> Russian<\/span> President<\/span> Vladimir<\/span> Putin<\/span> at<\/span> the<\/span> Kremlin<\/span> in<\/span> March<\/span> to<\/span> discuss<\/span> opening<\/span> peace<\/span> talks.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Brazil<\/span> is<\/span> Lavrov’s<\/span> first<\/span> stop<\/span> on<\/span> a<\/span> weeklong<\/span> Latin<\/span> American<\/span> tour<\/span> that<\/span> will<\/span> also<\/span> include<\/span> Venezuela,<\/span> Nicaragua<\/span> and<\/span> Cuba<\/span> –<\/span>\u00a0countries<\/span> whose<\/span> leftist<\/span> governments<\/span> have<\/span> hostile<\/span> relations<\/span> with<\/span> the<\/span> United<\/span> States.<\/span> Lavrov<\/span> and<\/span> Vieira<\/span> said<\/span> talks<\/span> would<\/span> also<\/span> focus<\/span> on<\/span> energy<\/span> and<\/span> trade.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>About<\/span> a<\/span> quarter<\/span> of<\/span> Brazil’s<\/span> agricultural<\/span> powerhouse’s<\/span> fertilizer<\/span> imports<\/span> come<\/span> from<\/span> Russia,<\/span> and<\/span> the<\/span> two<\/span> countries<\/span> made<\/span> him<\/span> $9.8<\/span> billion<\/span> in<\/span> net<\/span> profits<\/span> in<\/span> bilateral<\/span> trade<\/span> last<\/span> year.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

CARACAS\u00a0(AFP) -Russia has speeded up its bilateral relations with Brazil and Venezuela.\u00a0Russia and Venezuela agreed\u00a0in talks with top diplomats and other senior officials in the South American country to finalize hundreds of bilateral agreements covering finance, energy, agriculture and other sectors. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Venezuelan Foreign Minister Ivan Gil held a joint […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5939,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":""},"categories":[2400,24,26,280,2409,2480],"tags":[154,302,475,1312,2294,4054,4055,4056,4057],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/rssi.webp","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5936"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5936"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5936\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5942,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5936\/revisions\/5942"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5939"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5936"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5936"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5936"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}