Venezuela reiterates wish to join ASEAN cooperation treaty

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza  (Photo: AFP/VNA)

Caracas (VNA) - Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza has reaffirmed his country's wish to join the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

"We want to express what we did at the beginning of the year in writing, the formal request for Venezuela to be part of the ASEAN Treaty of Amity and Cooperation," Arreaza said during the third day of the virtual ASEAN Conference on November 26.

He stressed that it would be a very important step for Venezuela to have a much closer and much more productive relationship with ASEAN.

Venezuela always maintains its special relations with the 10 members of the bloc, Arreaza said, adding that as soon as pandemic restrictions on international flights are lifted, he plans to visit each of the ASEAN nations.

The TAC is a peace treaty established by the grouping’s founding members at the first ASEAN Summit held in Indonesia in 1976. Its purpose is to promote perpetual peace, everlasting amity and cooperation among their peoples which would contribute to their strength, solidarity and closer relationship./.