President Raeisi arrives in Caracas on first stop of Latin American tour

Iranian President Seyyed Ebrahim Raeisi has arrived in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas, the first leg of a five-day tour of Latin American countries.

Raeisi arrived at Simon Bolivar International Airport in Caracas on Monday, leading a high-ranking delegation at the formal invitation of his Venezuelan counterpart, Nicolas Maduro.

Upon arrival, the Iranian president was welcomed by Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Alberto van Klaveren as well as other senior officials from the Latin American country.

Within hours, Raeisi was officially welcomed by his Venezuelan counterpart Maduro at the Miraflores Presidential Palace in Caracas, after which the two heads of state sat for bilateral negotiations. The two countries' high-ranking delegations have also started negotiations on issues of interest to both sides.

A high-ranking delegation comprised of ministers of foreign affairs, oil, defense, and health is accompanying Raeisi on the five-day tour, which will also take him to Nicaragua and Cuba.

During his visit to the three countries, various cooperation agreements and memorandums of understanding will be signed between Iranian officials and their counterparts.

SS