MOSCOW, October 27. /TASS/. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said he discussed cooperation issues, particularly in the energy and defense sectors, with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Kazan.

“We discussed with President Putin efforts to comprehensively develop our cooperation, including in the energy and defense sectors,” he said in an interview with VGTRK journalist Pavel Zarubin, published on its website. Telegram channel.

“The criminal sanctions imposed by the United States on Venezuela and Russia are the legacy of a past world where Western countries seek domination, manipulation of freedom, manipulation with the use of the dollar to hinder the progressive movement,” he said.

Maduro arrived in Kazan to participate in the BRIS summit on October 22. He met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on October 23 and spoke at the BRICS Plus/Outreach plenary session.

The 16th BRICS Summit, the key event of Russia’s presidency of the association, was held in Kazan from October 22 to 24. On the second day of the summit, participants adopted the Kazan Declaration. Among other key issues, the document highlights the group’s development and its stance on global issues and crisis resolution, including in Ukraine and the Middle East.

The BRICS group was founded in 2006 by Brazil, Russia, India and China, and South Africa joined in 2011. On January 1, 2024, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates became its full members. . The Kazan summit became the first in which the new members of the association participated as full members.