MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Nicolas Maduro on Monday after he declared victory in Venezuela's presidential election, the results of which were rejected by the country's opposition.
Russia has been a key ally of Maduro's leftist government, deepening economic ties with Caracas and voicing support for the long-time leader when his administration was sanctioned by the West.
"Russian-Venezuelan relations have the character of a strategic partnership. I am confident that your work at the head of state will continue to contribute to their progressive development in all areas," Putin said, according to the Kremlin.
"Remember that you are always welcome on Russian soil," he added.
Maduro won re-election with 51.2 percent of votes, while opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia received 44.2 percent, according to Venezuela's electoral council (CNE), which in its majority is loyal to the president.
The opposition coalition itself claimed victory, after an election campaign tainted by claims of political intimidation and fears of fraud, and following predictions by pollsters that Maduro would lose but was unlikely to concede after more than a decade in power.