Venezuela Hosts Dialogue on Economic Cooperation with European Union
The coordinator of the meeting, Venezuelan Vice Minister of Foreign Relations for Europe, Alejandro Fleming, said, “We have designed a strategy for relations that advance positively with several countries... a deepening of relations on all levels, not just political.”
Fleming added that for Venezuela, a "fundamental element" of economic cooperation with Europe is technology transfer.
The head of the EU delegation, Ambassador Antonio García Velásquez, stated, “We are here to dialogue on an equal, open, and constructive plane, and to learn about the Venezuelan government’s concerns about development, and how we can respond to them.”
Diplomats from Portugal, France, Britain, Germany, Holland, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Denmark, Spain, Italy, Finland, Austria, Poland participated in the meeting.
The Venezuelan economy has grown for 20 consecutive trimesters, driven by heavy government investment. So far this year, growth in the non-oil sector has averaged 7.1%, while growth in the oil sector has averaged 4.8%, according to the Ministry of Planning and Development.