CARACAS: Venezuela’s government has begun exploring the potential to expand diplomatic ties with the United States, with US State Department officials traveling to Caracas for technical and logistical assessments, it said in a statement on Friday.
The State Department separately said the US officials were assessing a “potential phased resumption” of embassy operations in the South American country.
Washington and Caracas have signaled they are seeking cooperation since last week’s dramatic US military operation that resulted in the capture of President Nicolas Maduro. His vice president Delcy Rodriguez took over as interim leader.
“The government of Venezuela has decided to initiate an exploratory diplomatic process with the US government, with a view to reestablishing the diplomatic missions in both countries,” the Venezuelan government said in a statement.
A Venezuelan delegation will also be sent to the US to carry out assessments, it said.
Earlier on Friday, US President Donald Trump said the release of political prisoners in Venezuela was a sign of “seeking peace” and that he had canceled a planned second wave of attacks.
Venezuela looks to rebuild diplomatic ties with US
https://arab.news/c7y2d
Venezuela looks to rebuild diplomatic ties with US
- The State Department said US officials were assessing a “potential phased resumption” of embassy operations
- Washington and Caracas have signaled they are seeking cooperation
Germany plays down threat of US invading Greenland after talks
WASHINGTON: Germany’s top diplomat on Monday played down the risk of a US attack on Greenland, after President Donald Trump’s repeated threats to seize the island from NATO ally Denmark.
Asked after meeting Secretary of State Marco Rubio about a unilateral military move by Trump, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said: “I have no indication that this is being seriously considered.”
“Rather, I believe there is a common interest in addressing the security issues that arise in the Arctic region, and that we should and will do so,” he told reporters.
“NATO is only now in the process of developing more concrete plans on this, and these will then be discussed jointly with our US partners.”
Wadephul’s visit comes ahead of talks this week in Washington between Rubio and the top diplomats of Denmark and Greenland, which is an autonomous territory of Denmark.
Trump in recent days has vowed that the United States will take Greenland “one way or the other” and said he can do it “the nice way or the more difficult way.”
Greenland’s government on Monday repeated that it would not accept a US takeover under “any circumstance.”
Greenland and NATO also said Monday that they were working on bolstering defense of the Arctic territory, a key concern cited by Trump.
Trump has repeatedly pointed to growing Arctic activity by Russia and China as a reason why the United States needs to take over Greenland.
But he has also spoken more broadly of his desire to expand the land mass controlled by the United States.
