Russian FM Lavrov visits Venezuela, offers support

CARACAS — Russia and Venezuela reviewed some of the bilateral agreements covering the financial, energy, agricultural and other sectors during discussions between their top diplomats and other high-level officials on Tuesday in the South American country.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Venezuelan counterpart Yvan Gil held a joint news conference in Caracas hours after Lavrov arrived in the country on the second stop of a tour of four Latin American nations. Both sides vowed continued support for each other's country and condemned the economic sanctions Washington has imposed on them.

"We fully support the position of our Venezuelan friends. It is their country … and we are going to support it in any way, so that the Venezuelan economy becomes an independent economy from the pressures of the United States and other Western actors," Lavrov said.