Lavrov denounces US' allegations on Russian interference in Venezuela crisis

Moscow [Russia], May 2 (ANI): Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Thursday rejected all allegations made by the United States that his country's interference in Venezuela's ongoing political and humanitarian crisis is destabilising the US-Russia bilateral relationship.
"The enumeration all that official representatives for the American administration say about Venezuela leads to endless questions, and as a rule, diplomatically speaking, the answer to all these questions would be 'wrong,'" TASS quoted Lavrov as saying.
On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo called Lavrov to discuss the situation in Venezuela.
In a statement issued by the US State Department, Pompeo said that the intervention by Russia and Cuba is destabilising for Venezuela and for the U.S.-Russia bilateral relationship.
"The Secretary noted the Russian Foreign Ministry's April 30 statement calling for the renunciation of violence and support for Venezuela's return to stability and prosperity," the statement read.
"The Secretary urged Russia to cease support for Nicolas Maduro and join other nations, including the overwhelming majority of countries in the Western Hemisphere, who seek a better future for the Venezuelan people," it added.
In addition, Lavrov told reporters that Russia will mobilise the efforts a group of the states that respect the UN Charter for countering the US' plans on Venezuela.
"This group is being formed in the UN, and I hope that it will receive serious support in the organization," the minister noted. "Because the issue is about a very simple thing which can hardly be distorted: the protection of the basic norms and principles of international law, the way they are enshrined in the UN Charter," he said.
Speaking on the telephonic conversation with Pompeo, the Russian Minister said an agreement was reached to continue contacts on Venezuela.
"We agreed to continue contacts, in particular on Venezuela. However, I don't see the way the positions can be combined - our positions, on the one hand, which are based on the UN Charter and principles and norms of international law and the positions of the US, on the other hand, which appoints from Washington 'acting presidents' in another country, demand that legitimate authorities capitulate and threaten to use force simultaneously with oppressive sanctions in order to change the regime," he said.
"The positions are incompatible, but we are ready to talk," Lavrov stressed.
Anti-governmental demonstrations were held in Caracas and other Venezuelan cities on Tuesday after a military group had sided with opposition leader Juan Guaido.
On May 1, Lavrov, in the telephone conversation with Pompeo, said that Washington's intervention into the domestic affairs of Venezuela, where the opposition attempted a coup d'etat, is unacceptable.
According to state media, Pompeo and Lavrov to meet next week in Venezuela discuss the disagreements on the ongoing crisis.
The United States is keeping a close watch on the developments in Venezuela as Guaido made his most bold attempt yet at ousting President Nicolas Maduro. Washington had immediately extended its support to Guaido, recognising him as the official interim president of the nation.
On Wednesday, Maduro dismissed Pompeo's claim that the embattled President was planning on leaving the South American nation, but was convinced not to do so by Russia.
Other countries like France, Japan, UK sided with the United States in recognising Guaido, while countries like China, Russia, and Turkey slammed external interference in Venezuela's internal affairs.
Venezuela is also facing an acute economic and humanitarian crisis at the moment, which is worsened by repeated sanctions from the US. Maduro's government has continued to deny the existence of a humanitarian crisis in the Latin American nation, blocking off his country from receiving any aid sent by the US. He has also blamed the United States for the blackouts which brought the nation to a standstill recently. (ANI)