Jorge Arreaza, Foreign Minister of the Republic, expressed today his Spanish counterpart, Alfonso Dastis, his concern about the vision that is projected in Spain on the reality of Venezuela, according to a statement from the Venezuelan embassy in Madrid.
Arreaza met today in Madrid with Dastis during a stopover in the Spanish capital after participating in Geneva at the Human Rights Council and meeting in Paris with French diplomat Jean-Yves Le Drian.
The Venezuelan Foreign Minister expressed to Dastis "the need to build relationships based on the principles of cooperation, international law, non-interference in internal affairs and self-determination of peoples."
The Venezuelan politician emphasized "the inconvenience of protecting sectors that sabotage dialogue and promote violence, since sincere support for dialogue is required."
In this regard, he took the opportunity to "salute Dastis' support for the dialogue process in Venezuela".
The Venezuelan government and opposition could resume a dialogue today in the Dominican Republic at the invitation of that country and the former head of the Spanish government José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, who have called for a negotiation that is only openly accepted by the regime of Nicolas Maduro .
The Venezuelan opposition denied, however, that it is going to reopen a negotiation with the government, although assured that it will send a delegation to meet with the Dominican president, Danilo Medina.
Arreaza and Dastis addressed various bilateral issues "in a frank and friendly environment" and agreed to continue working together "to ensure the smooth development of relations between Spain and Venezuela," according to the source.
Dastis told his Venezuelan counterpart that "it is not enough" that his government wishes to dialogue with the opposition, but that it is "indispensable" a process without delay of negotiations.
According to a statement from the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dastis told Arreaza that Spain is "following with much interest" the situation in Venezuela, "supporting decisively all that contributes to the reconciliation and prosperity of Venezuelans, and helps to forge a agreement that guarantees full respect for the Venezuelan Constitution and the rule of law. "