Venezuelan President received by Rouhani today

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro who arrived in Tehran last night was formally received by his Iranian counterpart this morning. President Hassan Rouhani received Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro Saturday morning at Saadabad Palace, Tehran.

The two sides are to discuss various points of interest including economic issues and oil prices drop. President Maduro is also scheduled to meet with other Iranian senior officials on his visit to Tehran.

This is the first visit of the Venezuelan president to Iran since his presidency in 2013. Venezuela is also a member of OPEC and a critic of the oil price plummet and Saudi Arabia’s oil-related policies.

Iran and Venezuela as strategic allies enjoy deep bilateral relations. Trade between the two countries has grown steadily in recent years and they have launched joint ventures in a number of sectors, including energy, agriculture, housing and infrastructure.