Russian Senior Diplomat Holds Meeting With Venezuelan Foreign Minister Arreaza In Geneva

Russian Senior Diplomat Holds Meeting With Venezuelan Foreign Minister Arreaza in Geneva

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin on Wednesday held a meeting with Venezuela's Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza on the sidelines of the 40th session of the UN Human Rights Council

GENEVA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 27th February, 2019) Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin on Wednesday held a meeting with Venezuela's Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza on the sidelines of the 40th session of the UN Human Rights Council.

The talks were held behind closed doors and lasted about 40 minutes.

Earlier on Wednesday, Arreaza addressed the UN Human Rights Council.

Venezuela is currently going through a political crisis. On January 5, 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.