Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolás Maduro announced Monday that Caracas will host a meeting of the South American Energy Council this Friday, May 18, to discuss progress on regional agreements regarding energy and oil.

During a planning meeting with his Ecuadorian counterpart, Ricardo Patiño, Maduro said the Energy Council is “one of the wonders that our continent has been building” to work toward recuperating its natural resources.

The top Venezuelan diplomat said that details on the meeting will be released by the Vice President for Territory, Rafael Ramírez, who coordinates negotiations on the South American Energy Treaty together with the energy ministers of the 12 member countries of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR).

Maduro highlighted the importance of discussing the energy treaty, saying that, “from it will emanate a series of proposals, principles and policies for strengthening and recuperating natural resources.”

He expressed confidence that Friday’s discussions will produce “a series of definitive agreements.”

AVN / Press – Venezuelan Embassy to the U.S. / May 15, 2012