Iran and Venezuela agree to expand bilateral cooperation

Iran and Venezuela agreed to expand cooperation during a visit by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to Iran.

The cooperation agreement for the next 20 years was signed in Tehran on Saturday by the foreign ministers of the two authoritarian-ruled states, as seen in a video posted on Twitter by Venezuela's presidential office.

"I believe that an unbreakable friendship will grow between the two of us for the future of our peoples," Maduro said afterwards, addressing Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi. The latter spoke of strategic relations between the two countries.

According to both heads of government, cooperation is to be deepened in the fields of energy, finance, defence, food production and tourism, among others.

Both also stressed resistance to the "aggressions of imperialism" in view of international sanctions imposed on their countries.

Both oil-producing countries face sanctions from the US and the European Union. Iran is one of the closest allies of Maduro's government, which the US and other countries do not recognize as legitimate.

Venezuela has been in a severe political and economic crisis for years. There is a lack of food, medicine and fuel, even though the South American country has the largest oil reserves in the world.

The Iranian government declared solidarity with Venezuela and in the meantime sent several oil tankers and freighters with food. Almost two years ago, the US confiscated four tankers with Iranian oil for Venezuela.