The Head of Mission of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela accredited to Liberia, His Excellency Mr. Miguelangel Della Vecchia, is proposing the “Visa Free Privilege Agreement” for diplomatic and official passport holders of both countries. This, he said, will enhance the movement of officials of the two governments without hindrance.

According to a Foreign Ministry release, the Venezuelan diplomat made the suggestion when he paid a courtesy call on the Foreign Minister Marjon V. Kamara at her Foreign Ministry office on Thursday, August 4.

During discussions with Minister Kamara, Ambassador Vecchia emphasized the need to strengthen diplomatic ties with Liberia; adding, “We are very pleased to work closely with African countries.”

Mr. Vecchia, who resides in Abuja, Nigeria with concurrent accreditation to Sierra Leone and ECOWAS, expressed thanks and appreciation to Minister Kamara and the Liberian Government for the warm reception accorded him since his arrival in the country. He wished for further collaboration with his embassy in fostering the existing ties between the two countries.

While recounting his country’s role in the fight against Ebola, he assured Foreign Minister Kamara of Venezuela‘s preparedness to assist Liberia in addressing its post-Ebola recovery challenges.

The Venezuelan envoy also pledged his country’s readiness to expand cooperation in the areas of education, health, sports, and agriculture, among others, which he said will enhance previous agreements signed between both countries in 2013. “We want to entertain a visit to Venezuela to work on a Joint Commission Framework that will capture priority areas,” he said.

The head of mission also disclosed that a high-level delegation from Venezuela headed by its Foreign Minister, Mr. Delcy Rodriguez, is expected in Liberia next week to deliver a special invitation to President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf from the Venezuelan President, His Excellency Nicolás Maduro, for a state visit to Venezuela during the upcoming Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement scheduled to take place on September 17.

He said the invitation by the Venezuelan President to his Liberian counterpart is an opportunity for the two countries to further re-engage and strengthen the existing diplomatic ties between them at that high-level forum.

The Venezuelan Head of Mission also used the opportunity to refute what he called negative propaganda against his country by the western media; saying all these reports do not represent actual picture of his country. 

In response, Foreign Minister Marjon Kamara thanked the visiting Venezuelan Head of Mission for the visit and stressed that she was very pleased to hear that there is the need for the two countries to revamp their diplomatic relationship with renewed energy for the mutual benefit of the two governments and peoples; adding, “It will be a pleasure to meet the Venezuelan Foreign Minister.”

Minister Kamara assured him that President Sirleaf would be very happy to receive the Head of Mission and the invitation from her Venezuelan counterpart for state visit to that sisterly country. She said Liberia is open and ready to renew cooperation with Venezuela in critical areas of engagement.

“I am pleased by the message which is that we should revise our relationship; we will try to see how we can make this more concrete and revisit some of the agreements we have signed so that we can have tangible connection between our two countries,” she emphasized.

Foreign Minister Kamara welcomed the invitation for the official state visit to Venezuela for the North Alliance Meeting in mid-September and expressed gratitude to Venezuela for all the assistance it has rendered Liberia  especially  during the darkest hours of the Ebola outbreak in the country.