国际英语新闻:Turkey, Venezuela seek to boost cooperation

ANKARA, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met Friday with his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro in Ankara, showing a positive signal to improve ties with the Latin American country.

The meeting focused on steps to promote energy and trade cooperation between the two countries, Erdogan said at a joint press conference.

The two countries signed five cooperation agreements on aviation, tourism, agriculture, trade and foreign relations, he added.

The two leaders also discussed possible partnerships in mining, tourism, transport and defense, the Turkish president noted.

"Venezuela is a very precious partner for us. We want our Latin American friends to live in peace and well-being," Erdogan said.

Erdogan also announced Turkey's plans to dispatch more diplomats to Venezuela, as well as to build a Turkish cultural center and a mosque in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela.

For his part, Maduro hailed the five agreements as a sign of "new vision," as his Friday visit came two months ahead of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between Turkey and Venezuela.