Venezuela, US Agree To 'Improve Relations,' Says Caracas

Venezuela and the United States have agreed to "improve relations" as they resumed negotiations just months after Washington reimposed crippling sanctions on the South American country, Caracas said Wednesday.

At an initial meeting, the two sides agreed on a "willingness" to work together to "improve relations," President Nicolas Maduro's top negotiator Jorge Rodriguez announced on X.

They also agreed to "maintain communications in a respectful and constructive manner," he added.

Maduro announced on Monday that talks would resume with the United States, though Washington declined to comment.

The president claimed the proposal had come from Washington and that Caracas had agreed to it after two months of careful consideration.

Last year, the two countries launched secret negotiations in Qatar, ultimately agreeing to a prisoner swap.

The United States also had suspended some sanctions after Maduro's government and the opposition agreed in Barbados last October to hold a free and fair vote in 2024 under the watchful eye of international observers.

But the thaw ended when Maduro's opponents were barred from running against him in the July 28 vote, and the sanctions were snapped back in place in April.

"We're going to debate and find new agreements so that everything is respected, (especially) what we signed in Qatar" in September, Maduro said on Monday.