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US, Venezuela to reinstate expelled ambassadors

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-06-25 15:03

CARACAS: The governments of Venezuela and the United States agreed on Wednesday to reinstate their expelled ambassadors, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro said.

Maduro said that in coming days Venezuelan ambassador to the United States Bernardo Alvarez and US ambassador to Venezuela Patrick Duddy will restart their diplomatic work in each other's countries.

"The two ambassadors will re-establish their positions immediately -- our ambassador, Bernardo Alvarez, in Washington and the US ambassador, Patrick Duddy, in Caracas," Maduro said.

Maduro said the ambassadors from both countries will take their charges again. During his telephone conversation with US Assistant Secretary of State Thomas Shannon, he said, the US official expressed the US government's wish to increase communication with Venezuela.

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A US spokesman said in Washington that the timetable for the return is still uncertain, but a top Venezuelan official said the swap would be soon.

US State Department spokesman Ian Kelly told reporters Wednesday that the US administration and the Venezuelan government have been "taking necessary measures to accomplish this goal" of returning ambassadors to each other's capitals.

Diplomatic ties between the two countries were tense when Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez expelled Duddy from the country in September to support Bolivian President Evo Morales' decision of expelling then US Ambassador to Bolivia Philip Goldberg. He was accused of helping the opposition to incite violence in Bolivia.

Chavez said that the expulsion was executed because the government of former US President George W. Bush was behind all the dirty tricks against Venezuela.

In retaliation, the Bush administration ordered the expulsion of the Venezuelan ambassador in Washington.

Since US President Barrack Obama took office, US-Venezuela ties have shown signs of warming-up. During the Fifth Summit of the Americans held in Trinidad and Tobago this April, Obama said he had seen "potential positive signs" in US relations with Venezuela.

At the summit, Chavez and Obama exchanged greetings and shook hands with smiles on their faces. Chavez also gave Obama a book as a gift and expressed his willingness to be Obama's friend.

Chavez also met with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to discuss the possible restoration of diplomatic ties and the issue of expelled ambassadors.

The United States is Venezuela's most important trading partner, representing about 22 percent of imports and about 60 percent of Venezuelan exports. Venezuela is one of the top four foreign oil suppliers of the United States.