MOSCOW, July 12. /TASS/. Chairman of the Russian Federation Council’s (upper house) Foreign Affairs Committee Konstantin Kosachev has spoken highly of the outcome of the three-day talks between the Venezuelan government and the opposition emphasizing that there is a chance to resolve the situation in the country.
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"I believe that many people were closely following the negotiations between Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and opposition leader Juan Guaido, pinning high hopes on them. That’s why the good news coming from Barbados, where intense discussions between the parties were going on, has provided optimism. The process is gaining momentum," Kosachev wrote on his Facebook page.
"A permanent dialogue framework has been created. According to the Norwegian Foreign Ministry [the Venezuela talks are brokered by Norway], the issue at hand is achieving an agreed solution within the Constitution in the future. That is, there is an obvious chance that not just the mere fact of the talks, but also their outcome will be important," the senator added.
He noted that the Venezuelan people and all those who favored a peaceful settlement stood to gain from the positive results of the negotiations. On the other hand, those who "banked on pressure, outside intervention or a mutiny, who, by force of habit, meddled in Venezuela’s domestic affairs, having recognized the politician who is more acceptable to them as its head," turned out to be the big losers, Kosachev stressed.
"Of course, the end of the peace process is still far away, and we do not know what it will be like. However, it is clear now that the parties were able to show good will and desire. Another important factor was the tenacity of Venezuela’s legitimate authorities, which did not give in to massive blackmail and showed willingness to talk with the opposition, which indeed represents large population groups," the legislator pointed out.
Oslo-brokered Venezuela talks
On Thursday, Miranda State Governor Hector Rodriguez who took part in the talks with the opposition in Barbados said that an agreement with the opposition to resolve the crisis in the country was possible.
The Foreign Ministry of Norway, which acts as a mediator in the talks between Venezuela’s government and opposition, earlier reported that the parties had agreed to set up a permanent commission to discuss ways of steering the country out of the crisis.
In May, Oslo hosted at least two rounds of indirect talks between the Venezuelan parties, as brokered by Norway. On Monday, a new round of the consultations kicked off in Barbados.