Venezuela’s president receives Orji Kalu, congratulates Buhari

Orji Kalu and Nicolas Maduro

President of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, on Monday received Senator Orji Kalu at the Miraflores Palace, Caracas.

Maduro revealed details of their meeting via a tweet on Tuesday.

“I received brother Orji Uzor Kalu, Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I expressed my congratulations on the recent electoral victory of the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari. We ratify our willingness to continue to strengthen ties of friendship and cooperation,” he said.

It is unknown if Kalu met Maduro on official capacity as an envoy of the Federal Government.

The duo were said to have discussed matters of mutual interest in oil and gas, as well as existing alliances through the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries to strengthen the Diplomacy of Peace among nations, especially those in Africa.

Kalu also tweeted that he was glad to have met Maduro and that he was “glad by his assurances to continue to deepen the Nigerian-venezuela Relationship.”

The meeting comes at the time when the United States and several other world powers are backing the removal of Maduro.

The country’s opposition leader, Juan Guaidó, in April said that the definitive end of ousting Maduro had begun.

Despite being one of the world’s largest exporters of crude oil, Venezuela has been bedevilled by hyperinflation, power cuts, food and medicine shortages.