Washington, March 9 : US Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed on Wednesday that the ted Arab Emirates (UAE) will support the ted States’ efforts to convince OPEC+ countries to increase oil production amid rising energy costs after the cut off of Russian energy supplies. “I think there was just an announcement a short while ago, I’m not sure if it’s been made publicly yet about Emirati support for increased production when it comes to OPEC plus, which I think is an important thing to stabilize global energy markets to make sure that there remains an abundant supply of energy around the world,” Blinken said during a joint press conference with UK Foreign Secretary Elizabeth Truss. The ted States has a number of interests with regard to Venezuela, including to ensure steady oil supply globally, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said. “We have a set of interests with Venezuela. They include, of course, supporting democratic aspirations of the Venezuelan people. They include securing the release of Americans who were unjustly detained there,” Blinken said. “It’s also true that we have an interest globally in maintaining a steady supply of energy, including through our diplomatic efforts.” US President Joe Biden’s executive order to establish government oversight over cryptocurrency aims to block Russia’s “malicious cyber activities” and promote donations through cryptocurrencies to Ukraine, Blinken said. “There have been numerous ransomware incidents using cryptocurrencies that have originated in Russia, as have other malicious cyber activities,” Blinken said in a statement. “On the other hand, people from around the world have responded to Ukraine’s request for assistance by making direct donations through cryptocurrencies. Today’s EO [executive order] is designed to block the former and promote the latter.” Blinken added that American embassies and missions around the world are ready to partner with the private sector and international bodies to support the development and use of digital asset technology in ways aligned with US values. /SPUTNIK MYK