Venezuela said on Saturday that its relations with Guatemala had not been hurt by their competing bids for a UN Security Council seat.

A statement from the Venezuelan government said Deputy Foreign Minister Pavel Rondon had reassured his visiting Guatemalan counterpart Luis Fernando Andrade that bilateral relations were "in a phase of intensification" and remained intact.

Andrade agreed with Rondon, saying Guatemala regarded Venezuela as "a friend, an ally for the ideals of Latin American integration," the statement said.

Venezuela and Guatemala had both pledged to respect the results of the race, the statement said.

Source: Xinhua