By Marianna Parraga and Vivian Sequera
Sept 21 (Reuters) - A Venezuelan delegation led by interim President Delcy Rodriguez taking part in the United Nations General Assembly this week plans to discuss energy, debt and mining issues with counterparties in the US, two sources close to the preparations said.
The talks are expected to lead to the signing of agreements as part of US President Donald Trump's plans to rebuild the South American country's key industries, according to the sources.
Rodriguez
arrived in New York early on Monday with her team. It was her first trip to the US after taking office as Venezuela's interim president in January under Washington's oversight, following the capture of then President Nicolas Maduro by US forces.
The top US diplomat in Venezuela, John Barrett, received her at the airport, Venezuela's state TV said.
Venezuelan ministers and top officials have been advancing in negotiations for months ahead of Rodriguez's trip to New York, where she is scheduled to meet Trump on Tuesday. On Monday, Rodriguez was scheduled to meet with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, according to his agenda.
The planned meeting between Trump and Rodriguez — who was Venezuela's vice president under Maduro — will take place on the sidelines of a reception hosted by the US President, the US Ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, said during a recent press briefing call. Venezuela's Foreign Affairs and Information ministries did not immediately reply to requests for comment. Some Venezuela-owned buildings in New York, including a consulate and the office of the country's UN mission, have recently been renovated, according to media reports. Oil Minister Paula Henao, Mining Minister Hector Silva and top officials from state oil company PDVSA participated this month in a G20 energy conference in Houston, where a memorandum of understanding was inked with US oil producer Continental Resources for an area in Venezuela's main output region, the Orinoco Belt. A separate contract was also signed granting US investment firm Heeney Capital operational and export rights for a gold mine. Another preliminary agreement has been in negotiation for months with US energy major ExxonMobil, which could ultimately lead to its return to Venezuela's oilfields, sources said this month.
For its part, the Inter-American Development Bank is drawing up a two-year engagement plan for Venezuela focused partly on electricity and social protection, its President Ilan Goldfajn told Reuters on Monday. The effort includes missions to examine the nation's macroeconomic framework and data and to estimate investment needs across different sectors.
(Reporting by Marianna Parraga, Vivian Sequera and Rodrigo Campos; Editing by Anthony Esposito and David Gregorio)
