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The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela welcomes the wider use of the Russian ruble and hopes to restore the flow of tourists from Russia in the near future according to the statement of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carlos Faria, as reported on Monday.

On the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Faria said that "It is no secret that Russia seeks to expand the use of the ruble, bringing it to other countries... As for Venezuela, this would benefit the development of our tourism, because, as we know, hundreds of Russian tourists are flying to Margarita Island."

Faria noted that the number of Russian tourists to Venezuela has already reached the thousands, stressing that "This process was suspended due to the sanctions imposed against Russia, which is preventing Russia from using the usual routes to send planes to our continent. It will restart. This will greatly help the development of tourism in our country." 

Russian-Venezuelan relations

Venezuela affirmed its support for Russia amid the war in Ukraine, during Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov's visit to Venezuela early in February 2022.

Venezuelan Oil Minister Tareck El Aissami spoke on behalf of President Nicolas Maduro and the Venezuelan people to affirm support for the Russian people, the Russian Federation, and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

He added that Russia is a power that has put its scientific, technological, industrial, and energy development at the service of humanity.

In response to Aissami, Borisov stated that Venezuela is a strategic partner of Russia in Latin America and the world, expressing his appreciation for this partnership and dialogue of confidence at the political level.

Later in March, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro described the sanctions that have been imposed on Russia as a crime against the Russian people, and "madness."

Read more: Venezuela demands lift of sanctions against Iran, Cuba, Russia at UNGA