Indian premier, Venezuela's acting president agree to deepen ties

NEW DELHI

India and Venezuela agreed to “further deepen and expand bilateral partnership,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Friday as he spoke to Delcy Rodriguez, acting president of the South American country.

"Spoke with Acting President of Venezuela, Ms. Delcy Rodríguez. We agreed to further deepen and expand our bilateral partnership in all areas, with a shared vision of taking India-Venezuela relations to new heights in the years ahead," Modi wrote on US social media company X.

Rodriguez assumed office as interim president earlier this month following the capture of President Nicolas Maduro in a US military operation.

A separate statement by the Indian premier’s office said the two leaders agreed to deepen the partnership in areas including “trade and investment, energy, digital technology, health, agriculture and people-to-people ties.”

“Both leaders exchanged views on various regional and global issues of mutual interest and underscored the importance of their close cooperation for the Global South,” the readout added.

India and Venezuela marked the 65th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations in 2024. The Indian government maintains that "strong partnership" extends beyond bilateral cooperation, as both nations "actively collaborate in multilateral forums." Trade volume between the two countries stood at $1.175 billion in 2023-2024.

NEW DELHI

Rodriguez assumed office as interim president earlier this month following the capture of President Nicolas Maduro in a US military operation.

“Both leaders exchanged views on various regional and global issues of mutual interest and underscored the importance of their close cooperation for the Global South,” the readout added.