The meeting will take place ahead of Lavrov’s contacts with US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo.
Lavrov to meet with Venezuelan counterpart Sunday to discuss coup attempt in Caracas
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov © Alexander Shcherbak/TASS
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will hold talks with his visiting Venezuelan counterpart Jorge Arreaza in Moscow on Sunday to discuss the opposition’s attempt to seize power in that Latin American country on April 30. The meeting will take place ahead of Lavrov’s contacts with US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo, which are also expected to focus on Venezuela.
"There will be an exchange of opinion on the situation inside and around Venezuela in connection with the government coup attempt, the outlook for a political and diplomatic settlement of differences within the framework of the Venezuelan constitution, and various options of international mediatory efforts to promote a dialogue between the government and the opposition," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in connection with the forthcoming negotiations. "Certain steps will be discussed for expanding comprehensive Russian-Venezuelan partnership in the international scene, stepping up efforts by an informal group of countries for the protection of goals and principles enshrined in the UN Charter and also for resisting illegal, unilaterally imposed sanctions that worsen the social and economic situation in the country."
Russia's Lavrov urges U.S. to cancel plans to oust Venezuela's Maduro
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Sunday that Russia condemns what he called a campaign to overthrow Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, arranged by the United States, and urged Washington to cancel its "irresponsible" plans.
US, Russia butt heads over Venezuela
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pressed Sunday (May 5) for Russia to get out of Venezuela, while his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, called on Washington to "abandon its irresponsible plans" in the crisis-wracked country
.
The push and shove set the stage for a Pompeo meeting with Lavrov in Finland this week, and belied the conciliatory tone taken by US President Donald Trump on Friday after what he said was
"a very good conversation" with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The top level contacts follow the failure of a US-backed uprising this week aimed at ousting Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro, which Pompeo has blamed on Russia.
The secretary has said Maduro had been ready to flee to Havana but the Russians, who had flown military advisers to Caracas to shore up his socialist government, talked him out of it.
"The Russians must get out," Pompeo said in an interview Sunday with ABC's This Week. "I'm going to meet with Foreign Minister Lavrov in recent days. It's very clear, we want the Russians out, we want the Iranians out, we want the Cubans out. It's very clear," he said.
Trump undercut Pompeo's position on Friday, telling reporters that Putin had assured him "he is not looking to get involved in Venezuela other than he'd like to see something positive happen for Venezuela".
"And I feel the same way," Trump added.
Asked about those comments, Pompeo said, "I didn't see the full context of those quotes."
In Moscow, Lavrov met with Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza and pushed back against Washington.
"We call on the Americans, and all those supporting them, to abandon their irresponsible plans and to act exclusively within the boundaries of international law," Lavrov said.
'Bumpy roads'
Washington has given full-throated backing to opposition leader Juan Guaido, who tried but ultimately failed to ignite a military uprising against Maduro on April 30.
Guaido, who is recognized by the US and 50 other countries as Venezuela's legitimate interim president, acknowledged Saturday in an interview with the Washington Post that he fell short.
"Maybe because we still need more soldiers, and maybe we need more officials of the regime to be willing to support it, to back the constitution," Guaido said. "I think the variables are obvious at this point." He has tried to keep up the pressure with massive street protests, but his latest call for demonstrations Saturday drew only several hundred people.
"Maybe because we still need more soldiers, and maybe we need more officials of the regime to be willing to support it, to back the constitution," Guaido said. "I think the variables are obvious at this point." He has tried to keep up the pressure with massive street protests, but his latest call for demonstrations Saturday drew only several hundred people.
The attempted uprising set off two days of violent clashes between security forces and protesters that left four dead, dozens injured and more 150 people arrested.
Pompeo admitted to "bumpy roads" and said it could take "two weeks, four weeks" to remove Maduro.
