US, Venezuela agree to restore ambassadors

Jun 24, 2009, 19:58 GMT

Washington - The United States and Venezuela have agreed to restore ambassadors who were expelled during a diplomatic rift last year, the US State Department said Wednesday.

State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said there was no timeframe for returning ambassadors to Washington and Caracas following the agreement, which came about through discussions on Monday between both countries.

'We are currently taking the necessary measures to accomplish this goal, and we think that exchanging ambassadors is in the best interests of both countries,' Kelly said.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez ordered the US ambassador out of the country in September in a demonstration of solidarity with Bolivian President Evo Morales, who had expelled the US ambassador there after accusing him of siding with a separatist movement.

Washington retaliated by ordering the ambassadors from both countries to leave, marking a low point in US-Venezuelan relations, which had been on a downhill slope for years.

President Barack Obama has sought to improve ties with Latin America and exchanged brief greetings with Chavez in April at the Summit of the Americas.

Chavez has been among the sharpest critics of the United States but has toned down his rhetoric since Obama, who is much more popular in Latin America than predecessor George W Bush, took office. Despite differences, the United States remains the largest importer of Venezuelan oil.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Chavez began discussing the idea of returning ambassadors on the sidelines of the Summit of the Americas.