Turkey, Venezuela eye to further improve bilateral ties

Turkey and Venezuela are looking to improve bilateral relations in several fields including agriculture, energy, tourism and security, the Turkish foreign minister said Friday.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Turkey-Venezuela Joint Cooperation Commission meeting in capital Ankara, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said: "We will sign four agreements today. These agreements in the fields of economy, security, food, agriculture, animal husbandry and tourism will further strengthen our relations."

The two countries also plan to deepen cultural relations.

"In this regard, we intend to open our first Yunus Emre Turkish Cultural Center in Latin America, in Caracas."

Later on Friday, Çavuşoğlu and his Venezuelan counterpart Jorge Arreaza held a closed-door meeting.

"During our meeting, we discussed issues related to economy, energy, mining, tourism, agriculture, transportation, health, education and security," Çavuşoğlu said, speaking to reporters after the meeting.

Turkish flag carrier Turkish Airlines' Caracas and Havana flights -- which were launched last year -- have created an opportunity to increase cooperation in the field of tourism, the Turkish foreign minister added.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro also arrived in Ankara on Friday, where he will meet his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The first meeting of the joint commission was held in Venezuela's capital Caracas in 2011.