Bloomberg: Iran’s Oil Minister Travels to Venezuela to Sign Multiple Agreements
Bloomberg news agency, citing informed sources, reports that Javad Owji, Iran’s Oil Minister, has headed a delegation to Venezuela to visit the country’s oil facilities and sign several energy sector agreements. The trip had not been previously announced.
According to Bloomberg, Javad Owji, Oil Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, traveled to Venezuela on Saturday, April 30 (Ordibehesht 10) heading a delegation of more than ten members.
Informed sources, who did not want to be named, told Bloomberg that Owji and his delegation, along with Asdrubal Chavez, head of Venezuela’s state oil company, visited the Palaguang refining complex located in western Venezuela.
These informed sources added that several energy sector cooperation agreements are expected to be signed between representatives of the two countries on Monday, May 2 (Ordibehesht 12).
Bloomberg writes that Venezuela’s Oil Ministry and state oil company PDVSA did not respond to the news agency’s inquiries about Iran’s oil minister’s visit.
Both Iran and Venezuela are under U.S. sanctions, and the United States does not import oil from either country. However, Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela’s president, held a meeting with several high-ranking American officials in March. This meeting sparked speculation in Caracas that the U.S. intends to lift sanctions on Venezuela’s oil reserves following Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine.
Venezuela and Iran have strengthened their cooperation in the shadow of U.S. sanctions. Caracas imports Iranian gas condensates to dilute its crude oil. Iran also sends refined products, engineering services, and spare parts to Venezuela to support its oil industry.
Iranian media had not previously published any news about the Oil Minister’s intended trip to Venezuela. It appears this visit was unexpected for Iranian news circles as well. Neither Iranian nor Venezuelan officials have yet provided any explanation about this trip.
Source: DW
