CARACAS, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza on Thursday ratified his country's formal request to join the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation 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 ASEAN Conference, which was held via video in Caracas.
He stressed that it would be a very important step for Venezuela "to have a much closer and much more productive relationship with the ASEAN."
From a bilateral perspective, Venezuela already maintains "extraordinary relations" with the 10 members of the Southeast Asian bloc, said Arreaza.
The foreign minister said that as soon as pandemic restrictions on international flights are lifted, he plans to visit each of the ASEAN members. Enditem
