Russia 'concerned' about US actions in Venezuela

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - The U.S. intention to evacuate the rest of its embassy staff from Caracas is "alarming," according to Russian officials.

"It is alarming because the news was accompanied by the comment of U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that the ‘presence of U.S. personnel limits U.S. actions.’ What are these actions?" Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a Friday news conference in Moscow.

She called a recent power outage in Venezuela "an act of sabotage, organized from outside,” and said its "harmful impact on infrastructure" is being used as one of the tools of hybrid war.

Despite U.S. efforts, two-thirds of UN member states have not recognized Juan Guaido as Venezuela's interim president and Zakharova demanded Washington abandon its plans to overthrow the legitimate government.

- Child deaths in Syria

Turning to Syria, Zakharova expressed concern for the situation in al-Rukban and al-Hol refugee camps, decrying the death rate among children.

Since the beginning of the year, deplorable sanitation, famine and cold have taken lives of 100 people in al-Hol, two-thirds of them children, and 12 children in Rukban died, including five newborns, she said.

Turkey and Iran will continue their efforts on the Syrian issue, she said.

"A meeting at the level of the deputy foreign ministers of the Astana format is planned for April. Experts from the three countries are constantly in touch," she said.

- Iran's nuclear domain ‘model’ of transparency

Tehran is rigorously complying with the Iran nuclear deal, said Zakharova, as regularly confirmed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

"Nuclear activities in the country are under the constant control of the agency and are a model of transparency," she said.