
Serbia, an EU accession candidate, was the only European country besides Russia and Belarus to attend the inauguration of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, which was boycotted by the vast majority of the international community. The speaker of the Serbian parliament, Ana Brnabić, attended Maduro’s inauguration as the personal envoy of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić. Maduro is accused of electoral fraud in Venezuela and his re-election is being fiercely contested by the US and the EU. Both sides refuse to recognize the result. On Saturday, Brnabic spoke to Maduro after his inauguration, the Serbian news agency BETA reported.
She reportedly congratulated him and wished him a successful term in office. On behalf of Vučić, she emphasized the importance of strengthening political dialogue and deepening cooperation between Serbia and Venezuela. Both sides are interested in further developing friendly relations.
Maduro reportedly thanked Vucic and called him a great friend of Venezuela and its people. He also emphasized that cooperation between the two countries at all levels is very important and highlighted cooperation in the field of tourism, the statement said.
The EXPO 2027 to be held in Belgrade offers an excellent opportunity to improve economic cooperation, he said, adding that Venezuela would like to participate in this world exhibition.
According to reports, Brnabic thanked Maduro for Venezuela’s support for Serbia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, as Serbia is one of the countries that does not recognize Kosovo’s independence. The country’s state television reported that ten heads of state attended Maduro’s inauguration. However, many other governments around the world rejected his claim that he had won the election, pointing to evidence that his opponent Edmundo González Urrutia had won the election.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement that Maduro’s inauguration was illegal, adding that the US would not recognize him as president. The Biden administration, Canada, Britain and the EU announced a new package of sanctions against more than 20 Venezuelan officials on Friday, accusing them of threatening Venezuela’s democracy.
Hundreds of Venezuelans took to the streets during Maduro’s inauguration to protest against him./The Geopost/