Venezuelan leader signs decree on entry into force of agreement with Russia — ambassador

CARACAS, October 8. /TASS/. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro signed a decree on the entry into force of the strategic partnership and cooperation agreement with Russia, which Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Venezuelan leader signed in Moscow on May 7, Russian Ambassador to Caracas Sergey Melik-Bagdasarov told a TASS correspondent. "On October 7, I was invited to meet with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who, in a solemn atmosphere and in the presence of the country's leading TV channels, signed a decree on the entry into force of the Russia-Venezuela strategic partnership and cooperation agreement," Melik-Bagdasarov said. The ambassador explained that with Maduro’s signing of the decree, "the Venezuelan side has completed the internal procedures necessary for the Russia-Venezuela treaty to take effect." Maduro timed the entry into force of the treaty to coincide with Russian President Vladimir Putin's birthday. He asked the ambassador to convey his congratulations to the Russian leader, and assured him that "Venezuela is firm in its determination to be at the forefront of creating a just, multipolar, polycentric world order."