MOSCOW, September 26./TASS/. At their Kremlin talks on September 25, the Russian and Venezuelan Presidents, Vladimir Putin and Nicolas Maduro, discussed military and technical cooperation, whereas the issue of extending loans to Caracas was not raised, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Thursday.
"Military and technical cooperation continues. The issue of military and technical cooperation was on the agenda," Peskov said. The spokesman reiterated that earlier Russia had supplied special equipment and military hardware to Venezuela, part of which was in need of maintenance service or was in non-operational status. "That is why, joint work continues in the same way as before to comply with the commitments the Russian side has as the supplier of this special equipment," he added.
When asked whether the presidents had discussed financial and economic assistance to Venezuela, the spokesman said "Russia renders various kinds of assistance to Venezuela, in different forms, we maintain consultative cooperation along different trajectories." "And this cooperation will continue," he stressed.
He said ‘no’ in reply to the query whether a possibility to extend any additional loans to Caracas had been discussed.
Dialogue between Maduro and opposition
The Venezuelan leadership is demonstrating flexibility necessary for a dialogue with the opposition, but it must be met halfway, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted on Thursday.
President Nicolas Maduro has repeatedly stated the possibility of a dialogue with the Venezuelan opposition and its necessity. "Hence the Venezuelan leadership is showing the necessary flexibility, and of course mutuality is needed on the part of the opposition as well," Peskov told reporters.
He emphasized that any problems of Venezuela must be settled by the Venezuelans themselves, "without any meddling from third countries."
At talks with Maduro on Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia supported all the legitimate bodies of power in Venezuela, including the institution of presidency and the parliament, as well as a dialogue with the opposition. Moscow considers any refusal to hold a dialogue as irrational and harmful to the country and as posing only threats to the population’s well-being, Putin claimed.
Crisis in Venezuela
On January 23, Juan Guaido, Venezuelan opposition leader and parliament speaker, whose appointment to that position had been cancelled by the country’s Supreme Court, declared himself interim president at a rally in the country’s capital of Caracas.
Several countries, including the United States, Lima Group members (excluding Mexico), Australia, Albania, Georgia and Israel, as well as the Organization of American States, recognized him. Maduro, in turn, blasted the move as a coup staged by Washington and said he was severing diplomatic ties with the US. On February 4, most of the European Union member states recognized Guaido as Venezuela’s interim president
In contrast, Russia, Belarus, Bolivia, Iran, Cuba, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Syria and Turkey voiced support for Maduro, while China called for resolving all differences peacefully and warned against foreign interference. The United Nations secretary general, in turn, called for dialogue to resolve the crisis.