09:03 GMT 12.01.2021(updated at 09:46 GMT 12.01.2021) Short url
–
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Moscow will continue to provide political support to the legitimate authorities of Venezuela, the director of the Latin American department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Alexandr Schetinin, said in an interview with Sputnik.
–
“Russia will continue to provide political support to the legitimate authorities of Venezuela in a spirit of strategic partnership,” Schetinin said.
The diplomat recalled that last December, despite external pressure, Venezuela held parliamentary elections.
The Venezuelan authorities, Schetinin stressed, “did everything possible to organize them in accordance with the highest standards of transparency, democracy and sanitary and epidemiological security.”
“A wide range of Venezuelan opposition parties participated in the elections. This suggests that the renewed National Assembly will become a representative platform for a constructive dialogue of all political forces to face the challenges facing the country, as well as to overcome within the framework of the peace negotiation process the differences that exist in Venezuelan society, “he emphasized.
On December 6, Venezuelans they were summoned to the polls to elect the 277 deputies who will head the National Assembly in the period 2021-2026.
According to the National Electoral Council, the parties that support President Nicolás Maduro, grouped in the Great Patriotic Pole, obtained 253 positions in Parliament, which represents 91.34% of the members of Parliament.
The installation of the National Assembly put an end to five years of management by the opposition majority, which were marked by the conflicts of that body with the rest of the powers, as well as by a declaration of contempt of the Supreme Court of Justice, which was left without effect since mid 2016 all legislative actions.
In 2019, deputy Juan Guaidó was appointed as president of the legislative body, proclaimed himself interim president of the country, and received the support of 53 countries, including Colombia and the United States.
From that moment on, Venezuela’s relations with the group of countries that recognize Guaidó have become complex with sanctions against both the government and its industries abroad.
Intergovernmental Commission
In addition, Schetinin reported that the High Level Intergovernmental Commission of Russia and Venezuela will hold a meeting this year in Caracas.
“We are currently working on plans for bilateral contacts in 2021,” Schetinin said.
In this context, he pointed out that during the current year in Caracas “an ordinary meeting of the High Level Intergovernmental Commission of Russia and Venezuela will take place.”
Schetinin added that pending issues related to trade and economic interaction, as well as in the fields of energy, mining, transport, agriculture, medicine and pharmaceuticals are expected to be discussed at the next meeting.
– .
