This Friday, the First Mixed Commission between Venezuela and Nigeria was installed in Caracas to expand the bilateral agenda and establish the cooperation roadmap.
The information was released by the Foreign Ministry through a note press release detailing that the installation act of the first meeting took place at the headquarters of the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry in Caracas.
During the first meeting, the foreign ministers of Venezuela, Carlos Faría, and his Nigerian counterpart, Geoffrey Onyeama, addressed various issues in order to prepare the strategic work agenda.
At the beginning of his speech, Foreign Minister Carlos Faría expressed the honor of having the Foreign Minister of Nigeria and his delegation in the country in an event that has been planned for a year, he said.
“It’s a historical encounter for our peoples and governments since in 57 years of history, the years that we have diplomatic relations, we have had this opportunity to meet with your Excellency and delegation to work on issues that both parties have shown enormous interest, “said the Venezuelan foreign minister.
Venezuela and Nigeriasaid Faría, they are two countries “very similar for ample reasons, due to their condition of oil and gas production and due to their condition as fighting peoples, both have achieved the independence of colonies, that must be valued when setting the guidelines for the relationship », added Faria.
He also pointed out that the President of the Republic, Nicolás Maduro, is aware of the meeting and sent affectionate greetings to the Foreign Minister and his delegation. In addition, he stressed that the National President is interested in holding a meeting with his Excellency for the approach he gives to relations between the two countries and his position in defense of the causes of the Bolivarian Revolution.
“Nigeria is a very important player, it is the main economy on the African continent, it is a member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), a large gas producer,” he emphasized.
Consolidate cooperation spaces
With this Joint Commission, it is hoped to consolidate cooperation spaces, said Faría, while stressing that they are mainly focused on “a route between our capitals, which we see as having unparalleled comparative advantages.”
He added that “connectivity for other countries is given by the conditions of both countries, which is why we are working on this matter.”
He reiterated how important and historic this meeting is for Venezuela and Nigeria: “We will have two days of intense work between the delegations and we hope that important agreements will come out that will give us the possibility of designing a roadmap that will serve as an occasion for future meetings.”
Foreign Minister Faría highlighted the historical role that Nigeria in South America and Africa, which “we must consolidate by looking for mechanisms to reactivate understandings and encounters, to create and exert influence on the creation of a multipolar world.”
He also said that this meeting is important as an example for other nations in the search for a multicentric and multipolar world.
“We welcome and hope we can have a very productive first Venezuela-Nigeria Joint Commission,” he reiterated.
Venezuela and Nigeria: roadmap for the future
For his part, the Foreign Minister of Nigeria, Geoffrey Onyeama, insisted on the need to consolidate the cooperation roadmap and the bonds of South-South brotherhood.
At the beginning of his speech he sent cordial greetings to the people and government of Venezuela and highlighted the “hospitality extended from our arrival in this beautiful city of Caracas.”
“It is my first visit to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and to Caracas, and I am impressed by what I have seen so far and moved by the way people show their warmth,” added Onyeama.
For the Nigerian foreign minister “this is an event that we should have organized a long time ago, but things are better to happen late than never.”
“Nigeria and Venezuela share common situations and have excellent relations that have been like this for many years, our trajectories have been similar and we share things in terms of demographics, for which we feel very close to this country,” he emphasized.
He indicated that both countries have “similar economic activities and we have faced common challenges, so this commission takes place at a time for both countries and for both peoples, in which there is a set of global challenges, because the world is stands at a crossroads.”
In this regard, he stressed that “it is a time for our countries to join forces and design a roadmap for the future and play a fundamental role in stabilizing the global situation, with multilateralism as a premise,” he said.
For the Nigerian Foreign Minister «the multilateral system is the anchor for a more prosperous and peaceful world. We have seen the challenges in the global trading system, today crippled and countries resorting to protectionism, there is a need for change.”
Likewise, he stressed that “the covid-19 pandemic has been a tragedy and a challenge for the global community, unfortunately we were the horrible face of nationalism, through the nationalism of vaccines, and here global solidarity is important, so that It showed how some countries did not show solidarity, but I highlight the initiative of our countries in basing themselves on technologies for public health.
“Peace and security are pillars for global peace and once again our two countries are supporting and making a contribution to the global architecture, in favor of peace and security,” he reiterated.
Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama emphasized that “this commission occurs at a special time and will give us the opportunity to ease ourselves and align our positions and make a difference in the global community as it is perceived today.”
“Nigeria strongly supports the people and government of Venezuela, we believe that victory and prosperity will be achieved,” he concluded.
Work agenda
The Venezuela-Nigeria Mixed Commission contemplates work tables in the political and diplomatic fields on issues related to science and technology, agriculture, energy, mining, transportation, culture, oil and gas, migration issues, education and tourism, among others.
The 21 common projects that both nations currently share cover areas such as communication and information, defense, fight against money laundering, agriculture, air services, aeronautical cooperation, recognition of titles, trade and tourism, among others.
With the installation of the Venezuela-Nigeria Mixed Commission, both countries will continue to consolidate their political, geostrategic and cooperation ties for the benefit of their peoples.
Venezuela and Nigeria have maintained diplomatic relations since March 16, 1965, and to date they have signed 11 agreements; and there are currently 21 projects under negotiation.
