Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez (L) embraces Jeny Figueredo, a diplomat expelled from Washington last week, after meeting her at Miraflores Palace in Caracas February 10, 2006. (Xinhua/Reuters)

CARACAS, Feb. 10 (Xinhuanet) -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said on Friday that the U.S.-Venezuelan relations could be improved as long as the U.S. government respects Venezuela's sovereignty and rights to self-determination.

    Chavez made the remarks while meeting with Jeny Figueredo, a senior female diplomat who was expelled by the U.S. government on Feb. 3. The president appointed her vice foreign minister of Venezuela.

    The United States ordered Figueredo to leave the country within 72 hours in a swift retaliation for Venezuela's expulsion of a U.S. naval officer from Caracas on Feb. 2.

    Venezuela expelled U.S. Naval attache John Correa on Feb. 2, accusing him of stealing state secrets from Venezuelan military officers to Washington, a charge the U.S. officials has rejected.

    Venezuela ordered the expulsion after it had gathered concrete evidence to back its spying charges against the U.S. naval officer, Chavez said.

    The president urged the U.S. government to change its attitude and respect the Venezuelan government.

    The expulsion aggravated already tense relations between the United States and the world's No. 5 oil exporter. Enditem