Mérida, March 2 (Venezuelanlysis.com-RHC) -- Venezuela’s Oil and Mining Minister Rafael Ramirez has confirmed that Venezuela will continue to supply Syria with oil, despite international pressure against the Assad government and other nations that maintain relations with the Arab country.

Responding to criticisms in the mainstream media, Ramirez said Venezuela does not fear any possible sanctions that could result from continued trade with the Syrian government, a close ally of Venezuela in the Middle East.

The Syrian government has been embroiled in a civil conflict for the past year, with the United Nations claiming that the Assad government has used unnecessary force against peaceful protesters. Syrian government sources, however, maintain that they are responding to attempts by armed terrorist groups to forcefully overthrow the government.

As a result of the conflict, Syria is currently facing economic sanctions imposed by the European Union (EU), the United States, the Arab League and Turkey, who claim that they are exerting diplomatic and economic pressure on the Syrian government in order to halt its repression against the political opposition.

Meanwhile, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has been a vocal supporter of a mediated resolution to the crisis, and has accused Western countries of taking advantage of political instability in the Middle East to advance its own agenda.

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