Grenada’s Prime Minister Dr Keith Mitchell discussed bilateral relations, aid and assistance with Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro at the sidelines of a Caribbean and Latin American summit late Wednesday (January 29). During the meeting, Maduro promised to look into assisting Grenada in a number of areas. Teams from both sides are to meet subsequently to explore areas where co-operation could be increased. Prime Minister Mitchell also discussed the possibility of further assistance under the PetroCaribe arrangement. Dr Mitchell also invited the Venezuelan leader to make an official visit to St George’s at his earliest convenience. Maduro accepted the invitation and directed that arrangements begin immediately. Dr Mitchell was accompanied by Trade Minister Oliver Joseph, who is also the minister responsible for PetroCaribe Affairs, and former foreign minister Peter David, who was serving as an advisor on Latin American Affairs during the Grenada delegation's visit to Havana this week. Maduro greeted David, joking that “he is my best friend in Grenada”, while noting the time they spent as the foreign ministers of both of their countries. “We were very encouraged by the talks we had with President Maduro. We were pleased about how enthusiastic he was about the proposals we put forward,” Prime Minister Mitchell told the Government Information Service. “We are about strengthening those ties with Venezuela, which has been very receptive to our development needs,” the Prime Minister said. He noted that Venezuela provided Grenada with US$11 million in budgetary assistance late last year, through discussions initiated with that country’s Alba Bank. The negotiations for the assistance were initiated months ago by former foreign affairs minister David, on the request of the government. Source: gov.gd