Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro pledged a "powerful military cooperation" with Russia following high-level discussions between officials Wednesday, a day after diplomats from the US and several other nations gathered to discuss steps toward a negotiated solution to the South American country's protracted crisis.
"We have reviewed the powerful military cooperation, and we have ratified the path of a powerful military cooperation between Russia and Venezuela for the defense of peace, of sovereignty, the defense of territorial integrity," Maduro said during a news conference.
"We are going to increase all the preparation, training and cooperation plans with a military power in the world such as Russia."
The remarks came about a month after Maduro and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone about cooperation between their countries amid talk of possible Russian troop deployment to Venezuela.
Flanked by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov and Venezuelan Petroleum Minister Tareck El Aissami, Maduro said economic, commercial and tourism matters were also discussed Wednesday.