Iran and Venezuela on Saturday signed a 20-year cooperation plan, according to live coverage on Iranian state TV.
The plan includes cooperation in the fields of oil, petrochemicals, tourism, and culture.
The signing ceremony was held in North Tehran’s Saadabad Palace in the presence of visiting Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi.
Maduro on his first visit to Iran said Tehran helped his nation by sending badly needed fuel despite US sanctions and threats.
In an interview with Maduro late Friday after his arrival, Iranian state media reported that Maduro hailed Iran’s move to send fuel tankers to his energy-hungry nation.
“Tehran’s delivery of oil to Caracas was a great help to the Venezuelan people,” he said.
A high-ranking political and economic delegation from Venezuela, which like Iran is under heavy US sanctions, is accompanying Maduro on the two-day visit, following an invitation from Raisi.
Maduro said Venezuela and Iran are united by “a common vision” regarding international issues and are both victims of coercive measures by the United States and its allies.
“Caracas and Tehran have shaped the strategy of (a) resistance economy and are working to expand it,” he said.
