• Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez co-chaired a high-level intergovernmental commission in Russia, resulting in 18 new bilateral agreements.
  • Trade between the two nations has surged, with Russian imports from Venezuela tripling over the past year, amid efforts to expand financial and tourism links.
  • The meeting underscores a strengthening strategic partnership, with Russia reaffirming support for Venezuela's sovereignty against external pressures.

Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez is in Russia, according to four sources familiar with her movements, where she met with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko to co-chair the 19th meeting of the High-Level Russian-Venezuelan Intergovernmental Commission. The talks, held against a backdrop of geopolitical tensions, yielded 18 bilateral documents and a final act, signaling a push to bolster cooperation across multiple sectors. Efforts to expand economic ties have gained momentum, with trade turnover showing steady growth and more than 65 Russian enterprises poised to supply Venezuelan agricultural products.

Russian imports from Venezuela have increased threefold over the past year, a development that officials attribute to enhanced logistical and financial integration. Venezuelan coffee and seafood exports to Russia are on the rise, while both nations are working to enable Venezuelan tourists to use Venezuelan payment cards in Russia; Russian Mir cards are already accepted in Venezuela. In a move to boost tourism, a new Caracas–St Petersburg flight was launched in November 2025, and Venezuela's state tourism company Venetur opened a representative office in Moscow earlier this year. Venezuela also served as the partner country at the 5th Let's Travel! International Tourism Forum in Moscow, highlighting the deepening people-to-people connections.

The commission emphasized the strategic partnership between Russia and Venezuela, with Russian officials expressing firm support for Venezuela's national sovereignty against what they termed external threats. This comes as both countries mark significant anniversaries in 2025—the 80th anniversary of Russia's victory in World War II and the 80th anniversary of their diplomatic relations. Without such alliances, Venezuela might face increased isolation in global forums, analysts note.

Looking ahead, the 20th anniversary meeting of the commission is planned for 2027, with aims to present "even more impressive results," according to a joint statement. Officials have invited Venezuelan participation in key events like the St Petersburg International Economic Forum and the Let's Travel! International Tourism Forum in 2026. Attempts to reach Venezuelan and Russian representatives for further comment were not immediately successful, but sources indicate that negotiations are ongoing to finalize some of the newer agreements. This visit underscores how Venezuela is leveraging its partnerships to navigate economic challenges, though the long-term implications for its debt restructuring efforts remain uncertain.