Page 33 - IRANRptSep22

Iran and Venezuela sign 20-year cooperation deal during Maduro visit
The memorandum was signed at the end of a working group meeting between the Trade Promotion Organisation of Iran (TPOI) and the New Technologies of Tajikistan Organisation. The highlight of the deal is an agreement by both sides for the creation of a joint venture stone production plant in Tajikistan.
Iran and Tajikistan have also agreed to strengthen and diversify mining and trade cooperation and exchange technologies related to industrial development and marketing.
Presidents of Iran and Venezuela Ibrahim Raisi and Nicolas Maduro have signed a 20-year agreement on cooperation in fields including oil and petrochemicals, Mehr news agency reported on June 11.
The signing ceremony was held in Tehran in the Saadabad palace complex, home of the former Shah of Iran, during the first visit of the Venezuelan leader to the Islamic Republic.
Raisi called the countries' relations and solidarity "strategic." Both countries remain heavily sanctioned by the US. Iran in recent years has put considerable effort into helping to get parts of Venezuela’s sanctions-impacted oil industry back up on their feet.
As well as the assistance provided in the field of oil, Raisi mentioned Iran’s transfer of technology and technical support to assist Venezuela’s economy, defence and agriculture. There is some concern in the US about Iran providing Venezuela with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), given their potential use by the military.
The Iranian president also spoke about the launch of direct flights from Tehran to Caracas set to start on June 18. Visa-free entry to Venezuela will be provided to Iranians that arrive on local airlines.
The news of the cooperation agreement followed news of Iran handing over an oil tanker to Venezuela. Documents on the transfer of the tanker were signed in Tehran in the presence of Raisi and Maduro. Local reports said the tanker was 250 metres by 44 metres and 21 metres in height, with an oil-carrying capacity of 800,000 barrels. The tanker was provided as part of an agreement under which Iran is to build four tankers for Caracas.
33 IRAN Country Report September 2022 www.intellinews.com