India‐Venezuela Relations
India
and Venezuela have always enjoyed cordial relations. There is a similarity of
views on major international, political and economic issues. Besides actively
promoting bilateral relations, the two countries cooperate in multilateral
forums. The countries marked the 60th Anniversary of establishment
of diplomatic relations in 2019. Resident Embassies have been in Caracas and
New Delhi for over four decades. Venezuela has emerged as one of India's
largest oil suppliers.
Political
A
major thrust to the bilateral relationship was imparted by former President
Hugo Chavez´s State Visit to India on 4‐7
March 2005. He held bilateral talks with former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan
Singh and former President of India, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. Six
Agreements/MoUs were signed including on setting up of a Joint Commission and
cooperation in the hydrocarbon sector.
Former
Foreign Minister of Venezuela, Mr. Nicolas Maduro (now President) visited India
to attend the First Meeting of the India‐CELAC
Troika Foreign Ministers held in New Delhi on 7 August 2012. India was led by
former External Affairs Minister, Shri S.M. Krishna. Mr. Maduro also held
bilateral talks with EAM and Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
Shri
V.S. Sampath, former Chief Election Commissioner of India visited Caracas from
27 August to 1 September 2012 to attend an International Seminar on “Innovation
and Technological Vanguard: Automated Voting Systems”. The Election Commission
of India (ECI) and the National Electoral Council (CNE) of Venezuela signed an
MoU during the visit. The President of CNE visited India in January 2010 to
attend the Diamond Jubilee Celebrations of ECI and again in 2011.
The
then President and the then Prime Minister of India condoled the passing away
of President Hugo Chavez on 5 March 2013. Shri Sachin Pilot, former Minister of
State for Corporate Affairs represented India at the State funeral of President
Chavez. Shri Pilot paid his condolences to President Chavez’s mother, Mrs.
Elena Frias de Chavez and to the then Acting President, Mr. Nicolas Maduro.
External
Affairs Minister Smt. Sushma Swaraj met former Executive Vice President Mr.
Jorge Arreaza on 22 April 2015 on the sidelines of Asia Africa Summit 2015 in
Jakarta, Indonesia.
Minister
of State for External Affairs, Gen. (Dr.) V. K. Singh visited Caracas on 24‐25
May 2015. He held meetings with former Vice President, Mr. Jorge Arreaza,
Foreign Minister Dr. Delcy Rodriguez and former Oil and Mining Minister, Mr.
Asdrubal Chavez and the President of the national oil company of Venezuela,
PDVSA, Mr. Eulogio del Pino.
External
Affairs Minister, Smt. Sushma Swaraj had a pull aside with Foreign Minister Dr.
Delcy Rodriguez in New York on 30 September 2015 on the sidelines of UNGA session.
Former
Venezuelan FM Dr. Delcy Rodriguez led a 14 member delegation including Oil Minister
Mr. Eulogio del Pino and Vice Minister Mr. Felix Plasencia to visit India
during 17‐18
August 2016. Dr. Rodriguez handed over an invitation from President Maduro for
India’s
participation in the 17th NAM Summit. The delegation had meetings
with EAM Smt Sushma Swaraj and MOS for Petroleum and Natural Gas (Independent
Charge) Shri Dharmendra Pradhan.
The
17th NAM Summit was held in Margarita Island in Venezuela during 17‐18
September 2016. Former Vice President Shri Hamid Ansari represented India at
the Summit whereas MOS for External Affairs, Shri M.J. Akbar and Ambassador/ PR
to UN led the Ministerial and SOM respectively. Terrorism and UN reforms were
the focal areas of India's intervention at the Summit. Former VP had a
bilateral meeting with President Maduro.
Venezuelan
FM Mr. Jorge Arreaza signed the International Solar Agreement on November 6,
2017. President Maduro ratified the International Solar Alliance Framework
Agreement on March 6, 2018. Venezuela sent a high‐level
delegation to the International Solar Alliance Founding Conference in New Delhi
on March 11, 2018, led by FM Mr. Jorge Arreaza and accompanied by Minister of
Foreign Trade, Mr. Vielma Mora and Petroleum Minister, Mr. Manuel Quevedo. On
the sidelines, the delegation met the Indian Commerce and Industry Minister,
Shri Suresh Prabhu and Petroleum Minister, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan.
EAM
Smt. Sushma Swaraj met the FM of Venezuela Mr. Jorge Arreaza on the sidelines
of Mid‐term
Ministerial meeting of NAM on 5 April 2018. President of the Supreme Court, Mr.
Maikel Moreno participated in the 19th International Conference of
Chief Justices of the World held in India from 14‐20
November 2018 in Lucknow.
The
Ministerial Meeting of the Coordination Bureau of the NAM took place in Caracas
on July 20 and 21, 2019. India was represented by a 3‐member
delegation, headed by Shri Syed Akbaruddin, Ambassador/ Permanent
Representative of India to the UN.
In
Baku, Azerbaijan, on October 24, 2019 Venezuelan FM Mr. Jorge Arreaza, met with
the EAM of India, Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. The meeting was framed in the
XVIII Preparatory Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs for the Summit of
Heads of State and Government of the Non‐Aligned
Movement (NAM). Vice President Shri Venkaiah Naidu met with President of
Venezuela Mr. Nicolás Maduro on the sidelines of the 18th NAM Summit in Baku,
Azerbaijan on 26 October, 2019.
Venezuelan
Executive Vice President Dr. Delcy Rodríguez visited India alongwith Minister
of Economy and Finance, Mr. Simón Zerpa to attend the 2nd International Solar
Alliance General Assembly during 29-30 October, 2019. She also met the EAM Dr.
S. Jaishankar.
The
Executive Vice President, Dr. Delcy Rodriguez and the Foreign Minister, Jorege
Arreaza have indicated that President Maduro wants to visit India. President
Maduro has also expressed his desire to visit India during the credential
ceremony of Ambassador in August 2020.
Hon'ble External Affairs Minister of
India, Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar met H.E. Mr. Felix Plasencia, Minister of
Foreign Affairs of Venezuela on the sidelines of the UNGA in New York on 25
September 2021
Hon'ble
External Affairs Minister of India, Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar met H.E. Mr. Carlos
Faria, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Venezuela on the sidelines of the UNGA in
New York on 24 September, 2022. Exchanged
views on the global political and economic scenarios.
Commercial
An MOU on the establishment of an Indo-Venezuelan
Joint Commission was signed during President Chavez's visit to India in 2005.
Shri Rao Inderjit Singh, formerly Minister of State (Foreign Affairs), led the
Indian delegation for the first session of the Joint Commission in August 2005
in Caracas. The Joint Commission discussed cooperation in energy,
infrastructure, railways, low cost housing, trade, science and technology,
culture, poverty alleviation, consumer protection and standards, health,
agriculture and defense. The 2nd JCM between India and Venezuela was held in
Delhi on 20-21 December 2013. The Indian side was led by Shri Salman Khurshid,
former Minister of External Affairs while the Venezuelan side was led by Mr.
Elias Jaua, former Foreign Minister, who headed a huge delegation comprising 9
Vice Ministers dealing with Petrochemicals, External Trade, Agriculture, Food,
Health, Air and Water Transport, Telecommunications, IT & Postal Services,
Culture and Education. EAM said that India greatly valued its relationship with
Venezuela which had become the 3rd largest supplier of crude oil to India in
2012 and that India was keen to diversify India’s relations with Venezuela in
other areas of mutual interest. Mr. Jaua said that his visit demonstrated that
Venezuela regarded its relationship with India as very important and wanted to
upgrade it to a strategic level. Mr. Jaua’s visit provided a renewed
opportunity for high level political contact between the two countries.
Shri
Murli Deora, former Minister of Oil and Natural Gas visited Venezuela in May
2010 to witness the signing ceremony of the Carabobo oil project. During the
call of Shri Deora with former President Chavez, the latter agreed to supply more
crude to India.
Shri
Jyotiraditya Scindia, former Minister of State for Trade and Industry, together
with a 20‐member
IIC business delegation, made an official visit to Venezuela on July 8‐9,
2012. Bilateral talks were held with the Venezuelan Minister of Commerce, the
Minister of Health, Deputy Foreign Minister and Vice President of PDVSA.
Mr.
Rafael Ramírez, former Minister of Petroleum and Mining and President of PDVSA
visited India and held wide‐ranging discussions with former
Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Shri Veerappa Moily on September 24, 2013.
Minister
of State (independent charge) for Oil and Natural Gas, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan
met former Oil and Mining Minister Mr. Asdrúbal Chavez on June 4, 2015, in Vienna.
Former
PDVSA President, Mr. EulogioDel Pino visited India on 15‐16
June 2015. He met Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Petroleum and
Natural Gas, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan and Minister of State for External
Affairs, Gen. (Dr.) V. K. Singh.
Mr.
Manuel Quevedo, Oil Minister of Venezuela visited India to attend an energy
event (PETROTECH) on 11 February 2019. He also met Minister of Petroleum and
Natural Gas (independent charge), Shri Dharmendra Pradhan.
The
main items of India’s exports are mineral fuels and oils and products of their
distillation; bituminous substances, pharmaceutical products, cotton, nuclear
reactors, boilers, machinery and mechanical appliances, electrical machinery
and equipment; sound recorders and reproducers, television image and sound
recorders and reproducers, articles of apparel and clothing accessories and miscellaneous
chemical products.
The
main items of India’s imports from Venezuela are mineral fuels and oils and
products of their distillation, bituminous substances; mineral waxes, iron and
steel, aluminium, edible vegetables and certain roots and tubers, copper and
articles thereof, lead and articles thereof, zinc and articles thereof, wood
and articles of wood; electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof;
sound recorders and reproducers, television image and sound recorders and
reproducers, raw hides, skins and leather, boilers, machinery and mechanical
appliances; edible fruit and nuts; plastic and articles thereof, organic
chemicals, miscellaneous chemical products, articles of iron or steel.
The
bilateral trade figures for the past five years are as below:
Period
|
Imports from Venezuela
|
Exports to Venezuela
|
Total trade
|
US$ million
|
Rs. Lacs
|
US$ million
|
Rs. Lacs
|
US$ million
|
Rs. Lacs
|
2021-22
|
89.42
|
66,923.65
|
334.36
|
248,399.90
|
423.78
|
315,323.55
|
2020-21
|
714.24
|
529,493.32
|
557.10
|
412,489.78
|
1,228.29
|
941,983.10
|
2019-20
|
6,057.01
|
4,295,510.14
|
339.71
|
243,943.87
|
6.396.72
|
4,539,454.01
|
2018-19
|
7,258.95
|
5,080,946.23
|
164.77
|
115,404.78
|
7,423.72
|
5,196,351.01
|
2017-18
|
5,866.37
|
3,779,668.44
|
79.21
|
51,053.33
|
5,945.58
|
3,830,721.77
|
2016-17
|
5,512.06
|
3,696,429.07
|
62.22
|
41,615.42
|
5,574.28
|
3,738,044.49
|
ONGC
Videsh Limited (OVL) and Corporacion Venezolana del Petroleo (subsidiary of
PDVSA) have a joint venture called "PetroleraIndovenezolana SA" for
the production and exploration of oil in the San Cristóbal field, in which OVL
has 40% stake, while PDVSA has 60% of the remaining stake. The OVL investment in
the San Cristóbal project is approximately US$ 200 million.
An
international consortium comprising ONGC Videsh Limited (OVL), Indian Oil
Corporation (IOC), Oil India Limited (OIL), Repsol of Spain and Petronas of
Malaysia was declared the winner of an international bidding process to develop
a multi‐million
dollar oil project integrated in Carabobo in the Orinoco belt of Venezuela.
Reliance
Industries Limited (RIL) has a 15‐year crude supply contract with PDVSA.
The other major importer of oil from Venezuela is Essar (nowNayara).
Culture
There
is a great deal of interest and appreciation for Indian art and culture in
Venezuela. There are several centres in Venezuela established by Indian
spiritual Gurus/groups like Sathya Sai Baba, Brahma Kumaris, Radha Swami etc.
There are temples and several yoga centres in the country. Ayurveda is becoming
popular and has been recognized as an alternative system of medical treatment
in a health regulation issued by the Government of Venezuela in February 2001.
The first AYUSH Information Cell of Venezuela has been established in Gran
Fraternidad Universal, Maracay in July 2017. International Day of Yoga (IDY)
has been celebrated each year since 2015. A 3‐day
Holi festival was organized in March 2016, which saw a massive turnout of over
25000 people.
A
Catedra Libre (India Chair) was set up in the University of Los Andes
(ULA) in Merida in 2006 and in the Central University of Venezuela (UCV) in
Caracas in 2010. Dr. B.R Ambedkar Study Centre was opened in Santa Maria
University, Caracas on 14 April 2016. A workshop and IT Centre was setup in Araira,
Miranda State on 16 March 2017. Nearly 1300 students from the local community
have benefitted from the project. A Vallabhbhai India‐Venezuela
Association (VIVA) Centre was set up at El Hatillo, Caracas on 31 October 2016
to mark National Unity Day. Mahatma Gandhi Center was inaugurated in Caricuao on
2 October 2017. Mahatma Gandhi Foundation Venezuela, which was set up in June
2016, offers regular diploma courses on non‐violence.
Several
GoI sponsored cultural groups visited Venezuela in 2017, which include groups
on Indian music, Bhangra, Manipuri, Odissi and Bharatanatyam dance forms. India
was a participating country at the 13th International Book Fair
(FILVEN 2017) in Caracas in November 2017. Two books on India in Spanish were
released by the Venezuelan Minister of Culture at the event. Earlier, the first
Spanish version of Arthasashtra authored by a Venezuelan Professor was
released. Two books on North Eastern States were released in Spanish in March
2018. To mark the commencement of the celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi's 150th
Birth Anniversary, Embassy organized an LED Projection on the 'Relevance of
Bapu's message in the contemporary world.' The Commemorative Postage stamps on
150th Birth Anniversary of the Mahatma were released.
Gandhi
Hall was inaugurated at Maracay Venezuela on 30 October 2018 jointly by the
Embassy and Gran Fraternidad Universal, Venezuela. Yoga classes are being
conducted by the Teacher of Indian culture for 6 Venezuelan Ministries, Central
Bank of Venezuela and other public/private establishments.
Professor
Nobert Molina Medina of University of Los Andes visited India to participate in
Kumbh Mela‐
2019. Gandhi cycling event was organized in Puerto Ordaz in coordination with a
local organization FIVA in June 2019. A Vegetarian Food Festival in
commemoration of the 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi was
held at Gran Fraternidad Universal, Maracay in June 2019. 150th Birth
Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi was celebrated on 2nd October 2019 at
Caricuao, where bust of Mahatma Gandhi is installed. Vice Minister for Asia,
Middle East and Oceania, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, attended the event. The Mission
celebrated the 550th Birth Anniversary of Guru Nanak Devji at Sant
Bani Venezuela on 17 November 2019 which was attended by the Vice Minister for
Asia, Middle East and Oceania, Venezuelan Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
On
Constitution Day (26 November 2019), Embassy organized a lecture on Indian
Constitution by Prof. Miguel Mónaco at Universidad Católica Andrés Bello. The
Rector of the University attended the event. The commemorative stamps on Guru
Nanak Dev ji were released by the Mission and the Rector of the Universidad
Católica Andrés Bello at the University campus. The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas
2020 and the World Hindi Day 2020 were celebrated at the premises of the
Mission on 09 Jan 2020. A Photographic Exhibition “The Inspiring life of
Mahatma Gandhi” was organized at Tabay, Mérida from 29 Feb to 29 Mar 2020 in
coordination with the Municipality of Santos Marquina. The Mission celebrated
the 6th International day of Yoga with a series of Yoga Sessions from 15 to 20
Jun 2020 and an Online Session on Common Yoga Protocol on 21 Jun 2020. Minister
of Tourism and Foreign Trade and Vice Minister for Asia, Middle East and
Oceania, Ministry of Foreign Affairs attended the event. Online Quiz
Competition and “My Life, My Yoga” Video Blogging Competitions were also
organised by the Mission to mark the Celebration of the 6th IDY. The Mission
organised many activities to mark the grand finale of 150th Birth Anniversary
of Mahatma Gandhi i.e Online Gandhi Katha by Dr. Shobhana Radhakrishna, an
online event with South African Embassy in Venezuela, posting of video bytes of
Venezuela Ministers, academics etc., painting competition, cultural performance
by local artists, flower offering ceremonies at Gandhiji’s Busts/statue,
unveiling of first statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Metropolitana University
Venezuela etc. The Mission participated in the Online Celebrations of the
International Book Fair of Venezuela (FILVEN 2020) and Expo Valencia 2020 from
12 to 20 Nov 2020. The Mission celebrated virtually the 5th Ayurveda Day on 13
Nov 2020 in coordination with AYUSH Information Cell, Maracay. On Constitution
Day (26 November 2020), Embassy organized an online talk on ‘Constitutional
Values and Fundamental Principles of the Indian Constitution’ by Prof. Miguel
Mónaco, UCAB. During the celebration, Ambassador announced the winner of the
Online Quiz Competition on Dr. B.R Ambedkar, organized by the Embassy of India,
Caracas from April 14, 2020 to Nov 3, 2020.
A
Painting Competition on the occasion of “Communal Harmony Campaign Week” was
organised by the Embassy from 19 to 24 Nov 2020. The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas
2021 & the World Hindi Day 2021 were organised by the Mission virtually on
9 & 10 Jan 2021 respectively. On the occasion of 72nd Republic Day of
India, a reception was hosted at JW Marriot Hotel which was attended by
Venezuelan Foreign Minister H.E. Mr. Jorge Arreaza as Chief Guest. Ms. María
Gómez, personnel of Venezuelan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, proceeded to India
to pursue her Ph.D at Osmania University under ICCR Scholarship in February
2021. The Embassy celebrated the International Women’s Day 2021 on March 8.
‘Bollywood y Arepa’ an initiative of the Embassy to showcase Bollywood cinema
to the Venezuelan people and the international community in Caracas was
launched by Ambassador on 17 March 2021 as part of India@75 celebrations. The
Embassy endeavours to show one famous film of Bollywood on a monthly basis in a
non-commercial manner. Mr. Ulises Farias (Dha Maharaj) from Venezuela won
the 2nd Prize of US$ 1000 in the International Video Blogging Contest
organised by ICCR New Delhi on its 71st Foundation Day. After successful
launch of the world’s first gamified Sanskrit learning App ‘Little Guru’ by
ICCR on 9 April, Ambassador did a local launch in Caracas on 16 April
2021. As part of India@75 celebrations,
another initiative of EOI Caracas - ‘Khana de la India’, showcasing Indian
cuisines was launched by Ambassador Abhishek Singh and his spouse in May.
Venezuelan
experts are sent to India every year under ITEC programme. ICCR has approved 4
scholarships for Venezuela starting from academic year 2017.
Indian
community:
There
are around 50 NRIs and 30 PIOs in Venezuela.
November
3, 2022