Venezuelan Ambassador Joseba Achutegui on Wednesday described the bilateral ties binding his country and Saudi Arabia as excellent, as both nations are currently in talks to form a joint commission.

“The joint bilateral commission will further strengthen the bilateral ties, with both countries meeting during the first half of 2015 in Caracas,” the Venezuelan envoy said in an exclusive interview.

“The fact that the two countries have the same stance on global issues shows their friendship, which has grown in strength over the years,” he stated.

Achutegui added that their mutual understanding has been further proved by the visit of President Nicolas Maduro Moros to the country in Jan. 10-11, 2015 to strengthen bilateral ties and increase cooperation. Fifteen days later, President Maduro returned to Riyadh to express his condolences on the passing of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah.

According to Maduro, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela share equal points of views in many international issues. Both countries support the Palestinian claims for statehood, regional stability and humanitarian concerns around the globe. The two countries are also strong promoters of the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of any country.

“Venezuela and Saudi Arabia were among the founding countries of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in 1960,” the envoy said, adding that in this regard, Abdullah Tariki, the Saudi Minister of petroleum and mineral resources, was coordinating with his Venezuelan counterpart Juan Pablo Perez Alfonso in order to guarantee a sovereign control of the energetic resources.

During the interview, Achutegui also referred to the events currently affecting his country.

“In Venezuela, extreme right parties in the opposition, mainly representative of the interests of the elitist groups, have been agitating against the government of President Nicolas Maduro Moros, and trying to create instability since he was elected on April 14, 2013,” he said.

This is because, he added, the Venezuelan president has been pursuing the policies of the late president Hugo Chavez who restructured the distribution of oil income from the state.

“President Hugo Chavez overhauled the system of benefits distribution, providing more equality. Since the elite few received less than they used to, they agitated against the government. President Maduro has been clear pointing that such social benefits and programs that help millions of Venezuelan citizens will continue, no matter how sharply the oil prices drop,” he added.

As has been reported by the government on many occasions, the Venezuelan right-wing and some foreign factors have an open and notorious intention to overthrow the democratically constituted government in the country.

According to Achutegui, these attempts are being manifested through various strategies to create a climate of destabilization that may lead to social unrest, which could justify a foreign intervention.