20 Feb 2019 17:47

Russian-Venezuelan high-level commission soon to meet - Caracas official

MOSCOW. Feb 20 (Interfax) - Venezuela's Vice President Delcy Rodriguez has thanked Russia for delivering medical equipment despite the United States' blockade.

"We are grateful to Russia for shipping necessary medical equipment, which has arrived in Venezuela," Rodriguez said in an interview with the Rossiyaskaya Gazeta newspaper published on Wednesday.

Venezuela faces two threats, she said.

"Firstly, the military threat from a strong, belligerent power - the U.S. A military invasion of Venezuela would be the worst mistake to have ever been made by the government of Donald Trump.

"Secondly, this criminal economic blockade, which is extremely severe. Few countries have encountered such. This blockade is, for example, hindering medication deliveries.

"Soon there will be a meeting of our bilateral high-level commission, enabling us to expand cooperation in the oil production and mining industries, in the sphere of trade," Rodriguez said.

The military and energy spheres are "the spheres in which we have already achieved a lot and will achieve more," she said.

It was reported earlier that the commission is to meet in the first quarter of 2019. It is co-chaired by Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov and Venezuela's Vice President for the Economy Tareck El Aissami.