MOSCOW, July 10. /TASS/. Russian and Venezuelan Presidents, Vladimir Putin and Nicolas Maduro, discussed issues of bilateral cooperation, including energy sector projects, the Kremlin press service said on Monday after their telephone conversation.

"The leaders exchanges views on a number of practical issues of the Russian-Venezuelan cooperation. In particular, they discussed the implementation of mutually beneficial joint projects in the energy sector," the Kremlin said.

"Maduro informed about the Venezuelan government’s efforts to normalize the political situation in the country," the Kremlin said.

Since early April, Venezuela has been seeing large-scale protests organized by the opposition. Protests were provoked by the Supreme Court’s ruling expanding Maduro’s authority and restricting the competences of the opposition-controlled parliament. Over this period, some 90 people have been killed, about 1,500 have been injured and several thousands have been arrested.