Maduro Says He Hopes to Visit Russia, Meet Putin in April-June 2021

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said at a meeting with a Russian delegation of parliamentary election observers, that he hoped to visit Moscow and meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in April-June 2021.

The Venezuelan leader expressed confidence that members of the newly elected National Assembly would also visit the Russian capital soon.

“I hope that in April, May or June I will be able to visit Moscow to welcome our friend Vladimir Putin”, Maduro said in the meeting that was broadcast on Twitter.

In-mid November, Maduro had expressed hopes to pay a visit to Russia in near future. He and Putin had intended to meet this month, according to Vice President Delcy Rodriguez.

Venezuela is expected to receive its first supplies of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine against COVID-19 in January 2021, Rodriguez said earlier, adding that Caracas is seeking to localize the production of the vaccine on its territory. The country took part in the third phase of Sputnik V clinical trials, after Russia became the first country in the world to register a COVID-19 vaccine.

Maduro also expressed an interest in Chinese and Cuban vaccines, while Venezuela will not be able to obtain the COVID-19 vaccines developed by Pfizer and Moderna in the United States due to existing sanctions.