imageWASHINGTON: The United States and Venezuela, which have had highly strained relations for more than a decade, held a "positive" diplomatic meeting over the weekend in Haiti, the State Department said Monday.

National Assembly speaker Diosdado Cabello, regarded as Venezuela's second most powerful man, and US State Department Counselor Thomas Shannon met Saturday in Port-au-Prince.

"The talks touched all elements of our bilateral relationship.They were positive and productive," said Jeffrey Rathke, a State Department spokesman.

Cabello himself said after the meeting that it was "an important step toward full restoration of relations between the countries."

Tensions have run particularly high between the United States and Venezuela since US President Barack Obama slapped sanctions in March on seven Venezuelan officials linked to human rights abuses.

Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2015

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