Lavrov, Venezuelan Vice President To Discuss Bilateral Ties, Venezuela Crisis On Friday

(@FahadShabbir)

 Lavrov, Venezuelan Vice President to Discuss Bilateral Ties, Venezuela Crisis on Friday

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will meet with Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez in Moscow on Friday to discuss relations between the two states

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 01st March, 2019) Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will meet with Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez in Moscow on Friday to discuss relations between the two states.

Lavrov and Rodriguez will discuss the topical issues in bilateral relations, implementation of major joint projects in energy, industry, agriculture, medicine, and modern technology.

They will also exchange views on further coordination of the two countries' positions on the global stage, and discuss the situation in Venezuela.

Venezuela is currently in the midst of a tumultuous political crisis. It all started on January 5, when lawmaker Juan Guaido was elected as the president of the opposition-controlled National Assembly, which all other government branches have been refusing to recognize since 2016.

On January 23, two days after the Venezuelan Supreme Court annulled his election, Guaido declared himself the country's "interim president." Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who was sworn in for his second presidential term on January 10 after winning the May election, which part of the opposition boycotted, qualified Guaido's move as an attempt to stage a coup orchestrated by Washington.

The United States immediately recognized Guaido, after which some 50 other countries followed suit. Russia, China, Cuba, Bolivia and a number of other states have, in the meantime, voiced their support for the legitimate government of Maduro. Mexico and Uruguay have refused to recognize Guaido, declaring themselves neutral and promoting crisis settlement via dialogue.