Ayatollah Khamenei 'man of great wisdom, intelligence'

"Relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran have always been really good," said Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro in an interview with Al Mayadeen.

Maduro said he agreed on several new plans with President Ebrahim Raeisi, and the intergovernmental committee of both countries is working on these new projects which include networking and cooperation between Iran and Venezuela.

The Venezuelan president also voiced his admiration for Ayatollah Khamenei, describing him as a man of great wisdom and great intelligence.

Referring to the visit of Lt. Gen. Qassem Soleimani to Venezuela in 2019, Maduro said, "He was a smiley, optimistic man, and I thank God for ever meeting him."

"Soleimani combated terrorism and the brutal terrorist criminals who attacked the peoples of the Axis of resistance. He was a brave man," he added.

He stressed the importance of learning from these horrific crimes, such as the crime of assassinating martyr Soleimani. "Is this a world we want, where we witness the White House issuing an order to kill a hero of the struggle against terrorism in Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Lebanon?"

The world must raise its voice again, he underscored, in condemnation of the assassination of the people's hero, General Soleimani.

On the Palestinian cause, President Maduro stressed that no one in the world dares to ask Caracas to abandon Palestine.

"Qassem Soleimani to Venezuela in 2019, Maduro said, "He was a smiley, optimistic man, and I thank God for ever meeting him.""Soleimani combated terrorism and the brutal terrorist criminals who attacked the peoples of the Axis of resistance""We cannot accept such demands. It is a sin to simply think about abandoning Palestine or leaving it by itself."

"Palestine is humanity's holy land, and we have the Palestinian land in such high regard. We hear the name 'Palestine' loud and high," Maduro affirmed, condemning the Israeli occupation's crimes against Palestinians, saying "Israel" would pay for them one day.

Speaking about Syria, the Venezuelan president said that the Syrian people have suffered a lot throughout the last 11 years, and they knew how to preserve and win.

The Syrian Arab Army, alongside the unified Syrian people and President Bashar Al-Assad, will make Syria rise again and fully liberate it, he declared.

MNA/5384949