Russia vows to thwart pressure against Venezuela

Sergey Lavrov

MOSCOW, August 21. /TASS/: Russia stands in full solidarity with Venezuela in thwarting pressure and blackmail against that country, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday opening a meeting with Venezuela’s Executive Vice President Delcy Rodriguez.

He recalled that a meeting of the Coordination Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement had been held in Caracas in July. "Its participants reiterated their solidarity with the people and government of Venezuela in upholding the norms and principles of international law, primarily those enshrined in the UN Charter. We will always be committed to these principles, will always stand in solidarity with you and uphold every nation’s right to choose the path of its development independently and oppose any illegitimate unilateral methods of blackmail and pressure," Lavrov stressed.

He noted that the two sides planned to discuss in detail cooperation between Russia and Venezuela in international affairs, including in the UN and other multilateral platforms.