Turkish energy minister in Venezuela to boost ties in oil, gas and mining

BOGOTA, Colombia

Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar is visiting Venezuela with the aim of strengthening energy collaboration in the oil, gas, and mining fields between the two nations.

On Tuesday, Bayraktar first met with Venezuelan Petroleum Minister Pedro Rafael Tellechea Ruiz in the capital, Caracas.

“We came (here) to evaluate the collaborations we can develop in the fields of oil and natural gas exploration, production, trade, and services,” Bayraktar said, sharing photos from the meeting.

Following the meeting between the delegations, oil-rich Venezuela and Türkiye signed a memorandum of understanding for oil and natural gas cooperation.

For his part, Tellechea on Instagram said he had a “productive” meeting with Bayraktar.

“We reviewed various issues of strategic cooperation and the great window of opportunity that exists for investments in oil and gas,” Tellechea wrote.

Later in the day, the Turkish minister met with Venezuela’s Vice President, Delcy Rodriguez.

During this meeting, Bayraktar and Rodriguez discussed issues of “strengthening alliances on energy and mining between both nations to increase commercial exchange and encourage direct investments,” Venezuela’s vice president wrote on X.

Bayraktar also met with Ecological Mining Development Minister William Serantes Pinto.

“We discussed investment and cooperation opportunities in the field of mining,” Bayraktar said on X.

The two ministers also held consultations on areas in which Turkish companies like the state-owned mining and chemicals company Eti Maden, MTA (Mineral Research and Exploration General Directorate),and Turkish Petroleum International Company (TPIC) could operate in Venezuela.

*Writing by Handan Kazanci in Istanbul