Russian, Venezuelan officials meet in Moscow

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met Wednesday with Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez in Moscow to discuss questions of military and economic cooperation.

Sergey Lavrov promised "to defend the right of every nation to choose its own path,” in a news conference prior to the meeting.

"We will always stand in solidarity with you to defend the right of every nation to choose its own path of development and categorically oppose any illegitimate unilateral methods of blackmail and pressure," said Lavrov.

This is the second visit Rodriguez has paid to Russia this year.

Venezuela has been rocked by political unrest since Jan. 10, when President Nicholas Maduro was sworn in for a second term. Tension escalated on Jan. 23 when parliament member Juan Guaido declared himself interim president.

Russia, China and Iran have thrown their weight behind Maduro, as has Turkey.

Spain, Britain, France, Sweden, Germany, Japan and Denmark joined the U.S., Canada in recognizing Guaido as the country’s leader.