ROMSO Cyprus Knowledge Base

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Russian-Venezuelan relations are diplomatic contacts, political, economic and military-technical cooperation between Russia and Venezuela.

Russia is a key ally of Venezuela. Russian financial assistance and loans to Venezuela amount to billions of dollars.

History
The first contacts between the Russian Empire and Venezuela took place in 1857, when Russia recognized the independence of the Republic of Venezuela. After the October Revolution of 1917, Venezuela, like most Latin American countries, did not maintain diplomatic relations with Soviet Russia.

Diplomatic relations between the USSR and Venezuela were established on March 14, 1945. In 1952, they were severed and only in 1970 (against the background of improving Soviet-American relations) were they restored. Since then, bilateral relations have intensified. In 1976, the USSR was visited by Venezuelan President K. A. Perez. Soviet supplies to Venezuela in the early 1970s were small, but Venezuela played a large role in Soviet-Cuban trade. Venezuela supplied its oil to Cuba, for which the USSR supplied the same amount of oil to the countries of Eastern Europe. According to some reports, the Soviet side managed to save by reducing transportation costs to $200 million. In the 1970s and 1980s, a number of agreements were signed between the USSR and Venezuela: in 1975 - on cultural, scientific and technical cooperation, in 1976 - on economic and industrial cooperation, in 1985 - a trade agreement.

In 1996, during a visit to Caracas by Russian Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov, a treaty of friendship and cooperation was concluded between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Venezuela.

Bilateral relations have intensified since the government of Hugo Chavez came to power. In April 2001, the Francisco de Miranda Venezuelan-Russian Friendship Institute was opened in Caracas. President Chavez visited Russia in 2001 (twice), then in 2004, 2006 and 2007. Venezuela took second place after Brazil in the import of Russian products (primarily weapons) in Latin America. Thus, in 2007-2013, Venezuela accounted for 18.4% of Russian exports to the region (total value of $ 7.7 billion). Venezuela recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, supported Russia in voting in the UN General Assembly. In November 2008, the first official visit of the Russian leader to Venezuela took place. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez held a series of talks, visited the anti-submarine ship Admiral Chabanenko, which arrived in Caracas to participate in joint Russian-Venezuelan naval exercises. In March 2009, the Agreement on the waiver of visa formalities for mutual trips of citizens of the two states, signed in Caracas on November 26, 2008, came into force.

March 27, 2014 at the UN General Assembly vote on the issue of non-recognition of the referendum in Crimea