TEHRAN — Iran and Venezuela signed a 20-year strategic partnership at the Saadabad Palace in Tehran on Saturday morning.

The strategic document includes cooperation in the fields of politics, culture, economy, oil and petrochemicals, and tourism.

The document was signed at the presence of President Ebrahim Raisi of Iran and his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro.

A 20-year roadmap that outlines Tehran-Caracas relations was also signed by the two presidents.

Raisi says Iran’s policy is to build ties with independent countries

After the signing of the strategic cooperation document the two presidents held a joint press conference.

Raisi said Iran's foreign policy has always been focusing on building relationship with independent countries.

“Venezuela has shown exemplary resistance to enemy threats,” Raisi said. 

Iran and Venezuela are both subject to U.S. sanctions.

Raisi went on to say that Iran has been the target of numerous sanctions and threats over the last 42 years, yet the Iranian nation has decided to use these sanctions as an opportunity for national progress.

“When the Americans officially announce that the maximum pressure on the Islamic Republic of Iran has failed miserably, this is the point of victory of the Iranian nation and the point of defeat of the United States and the enemies,” the president said.

He then noted that Venezuela has also gone through difficult years, but the people and the government of Venezuela and President Maduro himself has been unwavering in resisting the sanctions. 

“Today, the president explained that his country has overcome hyperinflation and economic growth has begun in the country. This is a very good sign and it proves to everyone that resistance works and forces the enemy to retreat,” Raisi noted. 

He then described the relations between Iran and Venezuela as strategic in various fields, citing the two countries' cooperation in the areas of energy, construction of thermal power plants, repair and overhaul of Venezuelan refineries, as well as export of technical and engineering services as examples. He also mentioned cooperation in fields of economy, agriculture, defense and military.

“This cooperation shows that Tehran and Caracas have many fields and capacities to improve the level of relations with each other.”

The president also described the launch of a direct Tehran-Caracas flight on July 18 as a good step for facilitating travel between the two countries, saying, “This will further boost economic and trade relations between the two countries and can bring relations between the two nations closer and deeper.”

Maduro praises Iran’s progress in agriculture

For his part, Maduro said that the signing of the 20-year cooperation document between the two countries shows a clear vision for the progress of Iran-Venezuela relations.

“We went through tough times from 2017 to 2020, and to overcome this difficult period and to develop cooperation and relations between the two countries, we have decided to use the historical experience of the Islamic Republic of Iran and its capabilities, especially in the technical and technological fields,” the Venezuelan president noted. 

Noting that there are great opportunities for cooperation in the fields of oil, gas, petrochemicals and refineries, Maduro said that Tehran and Caracas will soon see the establishment of a direct flight, which will greatly help to activate cooperation between the two countries.

He went on to outline that although about 70% of the Iranian land is dry, it has succeeded to “do a miracle in the field of agriculture, and even in desert areas; it has been able to develop agricultural products through technology.”

He also said, “I believe that the future of Iran-Venezuela friendship will be very bright and unbreakable.” Maduro added that everybody will see how the two countries can resist the problems and make progress. 

“Everyone will see how the new world will take shape. The Venezuelan and Iranian young people must know that the world of the future is a world of equality and justice, and we must all build this future by standing up to imperialism and working together,” the Venezuelan president underlined. 

Addressing Raisi and the people of Iran, the Venezuelan president said, “Count on our full support and cooperation.”