Venezuela’s Acting President Delcy Rodriguez met with Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne on Thursday in Türkiye, where the two leaders reviewed existing cooperation and assessed new areas of strategic engagement on the sidelines of the COP31 climate summit.
The bilateral meeting took place after Acting President Delcy Rodriguez addressed the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP31).
Diplomatic relations between Caracas and St. John’s date back to 1982. More than 40 years of contact have built a relationship grounded in mutual respect, complementarity and shared benefit for both peoples.
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Both governments have maintained integration and solidarity mechanisms within the Caribbean region across that period. The meeting in Antalya served as a continuation of that long-standing channel rather than a new beginning.
Rodríguez’s exchange with Browne forms part of a broader international agenda she is carrying out alongside other world leaders gathered in Türkiye. These bilateral encounters aim to align joint positions on the climate crisis and reinforce South-South cooperation alliances.
The Venezuelan official has used the summit to advance diplomacy with several counterparts. The encounter with Browne followed Rodríguez’s formal remarks to the climate conference and extended that work into direct negotiation.
La presidenta de la República, Delcy Rodríguez, lideró este jueves 12 de noviembre un encuentro bilateral con el primer ministro de Antigua y Barbuda, Gaston Browne, en el marco de la Conferencia de las Naciones Unidas sobre el Cambio Climático (COP31), que se celebra en Antalya,… pic.twitter.com/zkqmWO0eBU
— Miraflores Al Momento (@MirafloresAM) November 12, 2026
Text reads: “Acting President of the Republic, Delcy Rodriguez, led a bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne, on Thursday, November 12, in the framework of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP31), which is held in Antalya, Türkiye. This meeting had as main objective to review the map of cooperation between both nations. The activity was attended by the Chancellor of the Republic, Oliver Blanco, and the Minister of Hydrocarbons, Paula Henao.”
Energy and Climate Focus
The presence of the Venezuelan Hydrocarbons Ministry Paula Henao in the delegation signals mutual interest in strengthening energy security and complementarity across the Caribbean. Both nations share a commitment to sovereign projects that promote sustainable development and resilience for island states.
The talks reviewed cooperation measures currently in force and opened space for new strategic areas. Neither government detailed the specific projects under discussion, but the ministerial lineup pointed toward energy as a central theme.
The two leaders evaluated how existing mechanisms might expand to meet those challenges. Technical working groups will follow up on the agreements assessed during the environmental summit, according to Venezuelan authorities.
Venezuela has positioned itself as a partner for Caribbean nations facing high energy costs and climate vulnerability. Antigua and Barbuda, as a small island state, brings particular urgency to questions of adaptation and resilience.
The encounter in Antalya gave both countries a chance to test whether climate negotiations can serve as a platform for deeper bilateral cooperation. The follow-up will determine whether the momentum of a summit conversation translates into concrete technical work.
For Venezuela, the meeting reinforced its standing within Caribbean diplomacy at a moment when climate finance and energy access dominate regional concerns. For Antigua and Barbuda, it offered continuity with a partner that has supported its development priorities for decades.
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