Sanctions against Venezuela destructive - Russian Foreign Ministry

MOSCOW, August 10. /TASS/. Sanctions against Venezuela imposed by a number of countries are not conducive to normalizing the situation inside the country and lead it to a dead end, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday. According to the ministry, the formation of the country’s supreme body - the Constituent Assembly - after the July 30 elections and the beginning of its work pave the way for stabilization in Venezuela. "In light of this, of particular importance is the international community’s signal about supporting the peaceful solution to the long-term crisis there through establishing the atmosphere of trust and resuming direct dialogue between the opposing parties," the ministry stressed. "Unfortunately, we often see quite the opposite." "Contrary to the very logic of events and their own calls for the ‘democratization’ of the processes underway in Venezuela, some internal and foreign political forces continue to promote the destructive policy aimed at derailing the emerging dialogue and actually taking the situation back to square one," the ministry noted. "The interest in unilateral sanctions, isolationist measures, pressure and ultimatums against Caracas shown by a number of countries can hardly be seen in a different light." "We do not think that such steps serve constructive purposes," the Russian Foreign Ministry added. It noted that there is no alternative to direct negotiations between the government and the opposition. "Peace in Venezuela continues to depend on all parties’ willingness to return to dialogue within the framework of the Constitution, without outside interference, in line with political reconciliatory efforts in the interests of forming a unifying agenda. The nearest landmark that should be approached in an atmosphere of interaction is the launch of the election campaign ahead of the December 10 regional elections," the Russian Foreign Ministry stated. "We expect all parties, both internal and external, to show prudence, wisdom and constructive approach towards joint work to bring back peace and prosperity to Venezuela," the ministry concluded. US sanctions The Constituent Assembly convened by decision of President Nicolas Maduro began its work last week. The elections to the body that can reform the public administration system and amend the Constitution without a preliminary referendum have sparked criticism from some countries. On Wednesday, the US Department of the Treasury expanded the sanctions list for Venezuela, adding to it eight people, including six Constituent Assembly members elected on July 30. Adan Chavez, brother of former President Hugo Chavez, is among the sanctioned individuals. Read more