Russia's Foreign Affairs Minister to Meet President Maduro

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov Friday will meet with Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro at a time when the U.S. government threatens to tighten its sanctions against the Bolivian revolution.

RELATED: 

Russian Foreign Minister Bolsters Diplomatic Ties With Mexico

After visiting Cuba and Mexico, Lavrov arrived in Caracas on Thursday night, only a few hours after the U.S. Department of State suggested that its sanctions plan against Venezuela could start attacking Russia, for its companies have bought oil from the South American country.

To emphasize the intentions of his country, the U.S. President Donald Trump received Venezuelan opposition politician Juan Guaido at the White House this week.

On Thursday, the U.S. Special Representative for Venezuela Elliott Abrams also warned that Russia's support for the Venezuelan government "will no longer be free."

Besides criticizing the "provocations" stemming from the United States, Lavrov pointed out that Washington is just looking for a pretext for deploying a military intervention.

According to analysts, despite the Cold War-style drama fostered by the Trump administration, the U.S. is not likely to sanction Russian oil companies given that the impact on the international energy markets would be very damaging to the very U.S. economy.​​​​​​​

"10:00 a.m. This was Sergey Lavrov's arrival at the Yellow House, the seat of the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry, where he was received by the Minister".
 

On Friday, President Maduro and Lavrov will review the state of bilateral relations and cooperation as well as existing joint projects.​​​​​​​

The diplomatic relations between Russia and Venezuela were established in 1945. Over the last two decades, both nations have forged an important strategic alliance.

This has made possible the signing of hundreds of cooperation agreements in different areas, mainly in energy, economic, technological, industrial, and military matters.

The Russian delegation accompanying Lavrov includes Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov and Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Maria Zakharova, among others.