MOSCOW, July 16. /TASS/. Russia welcomes consultations between Venezuela’s government and the opposition and wants the sides to withdraw from the crisis as soon as possible, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a news conference after negotiations with Jamaica’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Kamina Johnson-Smith.

"Of course, we discussed Venezuela. We want Venezuela’s government and the opposition to agree on the withdrawal from the current crisis as soon as possible," the diplomat said. "We welcome the negotiations that are taking place under the so-called Oslo process."

In May, at least two rounds of indirect talks between Venezuela’s authorities and the opposition, organized with the Norwegian authorities’ intermediacy, were held in Oslo. On July 8, a new stage of dialogue was launched in Barbados. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro stated that the talks were tight, not ruling out that the consultations may culminate in agreements. The delegation of Venezuela’s government arrived in Barbados on Monday to take part in a new round of negotiations with the Venezuelan opposition.