Venezuela takes diplomatic offensive to Qatar

Venezuela's executive vice president Delcy Rodriguez traveled to Qatar on 28 February as part of the Venezuelan government's diplomatic offensive to counter US sanctions.

While in Doha, Rodriguez met with Emir Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani and deputy prime minister and foreign affairs minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani.

The two sides "reviewed bilateral cooperation relations and regional issues, as well as several matters of common interest," Qatar's foreign ministry said.

Venezuela's foreign ministry said the trip is part of Venezuela's "Bolivarian diplomacy for peace".

Behind the scenes, officials in Venezuela's presidential palace and foreign ministry said Rodriguez is lobbying Qatar to press the US government to ease sanctions against Venezuela's national oil company PdV. The US escalated the sanctions last month by targeting Russian state-controlled Rosneft's trading subsidiary.

The Qatar Investment Authority's subsidiary QH Oil Investments paid $4.2bn in November 2018 to acquire an 18.93pc stake in Rosneft, making it the Russian company's third largest shareholder after Russian state-owned JSC Rosneftegaz with 50pc and BP's Russian unit with 19.75pc.

The Maduro government is hoping the Qatari government will use its diplomatic contacts and Washington lobbyists to argue that escalating US sanctions against PdV are now hurting the sovereign interests of other countries the US has no political quarrels with such as Qatar, a palace official said.

The Venezuelan government's efforts to enlist its own lobbyists in Washington have run into political snags.

During her visit, Rodriguez was also scheduled to meet with Qatari banking officials to discuss how PdV collections and payments that were processed through Rosneft Trading could go through alternative channels that are not vulnerable to US sanctions, the palace said.

In addition, Rodriguez is arranging more sales of Venezuelan gold to international buyers with offices in Doha.