Venezuela and Palestine Sign New Deals in Medicine, Agriculture, & Mining
The ANC reiterates Venezuela's solidarity with Palestine in light of Trump's decision to move the US embassy to Jerusalem. The countries also arrived at what both claim to be mutually beneficial economic agreements in the area of medicine, mining, agriculture, aviation, and tourism.
Caracas, January 18, 2018 (venezuelanalysis.com) – Venezuela and Palestine concluded a raft of new agreements Thursday during an official Palestinian state visit to Caracas.
Following a meeting between Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki and his Venezuelan counterpart Jorge Arreaza, both governments finalized plans to expand cooperation in the areas of medicine, mining, agriculture, aviation, and tourism, based on a series of agreements made between these governments since 2015.
“We are going to build a pharmaceutical factory that our people needs, in which Palestine is going to support us… soon we will see medications made in Venezuela with the support of Palestine,” explained Arreaza.
Arreaza also specified that both countries will work together on an initiative to construct green houses in order to expand agricultural production.
Among the other agreements is a plan to create a joint mining company to extract coltan from Venezuela’s Orinoco Mining Belt as well as projects for investment in tourism and aviation.
“These deals will strengthen the Palestinian cause,” declared al-Maliki on the conclusion of the meeting.
Earlier on Thursday, the top Palestinian diplomat met with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, in which both leaders, according to Arreaza, “spoke about strategic questions in international politics, in support of the right of existence of the Palestinian people in their territory.”
On Wednesday, al-Maliki likewise met with the president of Venezuela’s National Constituent Assembly, Delcy Rodriguez.
During a joint press conference, Rodriguez voiced support for Palestine’s internationally-recognized claim to a state with a capital in East Jerusalem.
“East Jerusalem is the capital of the State of Palestine and the position of Venezuela has been very clear,” she affirmed.
The statement comes in response to a controversial declaration by US President Donald Trump in December announcing the move of Washington’s embassy to Israeli-occupied Jerusalem in violation of international law.
At the time, Venezuela led the 125 nations of the Non-Aligned Movement in “categorically reject[ing] the unilateral and extremist actions of the United States government against the noble Palestinian people”.
Under the leadership of former President Hugo Chavez and Maduro, Venezuela has become one of Palestine’s closest allies, providing the Israeli-occupied nation with subsidized oil shipments, scholarships for medical students, and humanitarian aid.