Russia supports Venezuela's attempts to avert further clashes in country – Russian FM
3 March 2014, 19:59
Russia supports the Venezuelan government's attempts to avert the spread of the confrontations that have overflowed the country since February as people have been opposing the current government, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, said during the meeting with his Venezuelan counterpart. 'We support the Venezuelan government's attempts, aimed to avert the spread of conflrontations in the country,' Lavrov stated. Venezuela's Foreign Minister Elias Jaua thanked the Russian opposite number for 'the support of peace in the country, considering the fact that there are those who deny the will of the majority of the Venezuelan people'.
Elias Jaua also added that Venezuela and Russia had a range of agreements, including the economical ones.
'We intend to improve our relations that began to develop under Chavez and continue to develop under Maduro,' Jaua said.
Before the meeting, Lavrov took part in the conference of the UN Human Rights Council that was held in Geneva.
Dozens arrested, including foreign reporters, as Venezuela protesters, security clash
At least 41 people, including foreign reporters, were arrested in Caracas late Friday as security forces battled protesters angry at the policies of Venezuela's leftist government. Meanwhile President of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, has suggested that the protesting students and the opposition should hold a meeting to resolve the situation in the country.
National Guard security forces blasted the student-led demonstrators with high-pressure water and fired tear gas canisters into the crowds in an attempt to break up the protest. Hooded protesters set up barricades and responded by hurling rocks and Molotov cocktails.
The death toll from three-week street battles stood at 18, according to government figures.
With no sign of a breakthrough in the political crisis gripping the oil-rich country, Washington urged President Nicolas Maduro to talk to the protesters.
'They need to reach out and have a dialogue, and bring people together and resolve their problems,' Secretary of State John Kerry said in Washington, urging against 'arrests and violence in the streets.'
Kerry said the United States was working with Colombia and other countries to bolster mediation efforts.
Maduro has labeled the protests that began on February 4 a Washington-backed attempted 'coup.'
He claims that radical opposition leaders have joined students angered by high inflation and goods shortage in plotting to topple his nearly year-old government.
Meanwhile, President of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, has suggested that the protesting students and the opposition should hold a meeting to resolve the situation in the country. 'The state will only benefit from this mutually respectful dialogue,' he stressed in his address to the nation. Moreover, Maduro invited all Venezuelans to participate in such a dialogue on the situation in the country. Earlier, the opposition boycotted two meetings suggested by the president.
In two weeks, the number of victims killed in clashes between the supporters and opponents of the government of Venezuela increased to 17 people, other 261 people were harmed. Earlier, Foreign Minister Elías Jaua said that the protests and riots in the country were not due to political and social issues, but were a result of the planned strategy aimed at destabilizing the situation in the state.
Voice of Russia, RIA, AFP, TASS
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