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A high-level US delegation held a meeting with Venezuelan government officials in Caracus during the weekend for talks as Washington looks for alternative sources to replace Russian oil which has now come under an embargo.</p>
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The talks represent a marked shift in US foreign policy as Washington had cut off ties with President Nicolas Maduro&rsquo;s government in 2019 and had imposed a ban on Venezuela&rsquo;s oil which accounts for over 95% of the country&rsquo;s revenue.&nbsp;</p>
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Venezuela is also among the countries that have assured Russian President Vladimir Putin of his &quot;strong support&quot; in the wake of the Ukraine conflict.</p>
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&quot;As it relates to Venezuela, the purpose of the trip that was taken by administration officials was to discuss a range of issues including certainly energy, energy security,&quot; White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters.</p>
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Maduro confirmed the meeting in a televised appearance late Monday, describing it as &quot;respectful, cordial and diplomatic&quot; but did not divulge any details about the issues that were discussed.</p>
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&quot;We did it in the presidential office,&quot; he said. &quot;We had almost two hours talking.&quot;</p>
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&quot;It seemed very important to me to be able, face to face, to discuss topics of maximum interest to Venezuela,&quot; he said.</p>
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According to The New York Times, the visit by senior State Department and White House officials was linked to Washington&#39;s interest in replacing part of the oil it currently buys from Russia with the oil it stopped buying from Venezuela.</p>
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The White House has indicated it is examining alternatives to replace Russian oil imports and maintaining global supply.</p>
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Psaki said the delegation also raised the &quot;health and welfare&quot; of a number of Americans detained in the country including six oil executives jailed in 2017. He also said that energy talks and the detainees&#39; fate were &quot;separate paths and conversations.&quot;</p>
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