Russian FM Arrives in Venezuela

Russian Foreign Minister (FM) Sergey Lavrov arrived in Venezuela on Tuesday, his second stop on a tour of Latin American countries.

Lavrov is scheduled to hold talks with his Venezuelan counterpart Ivan Gil Pinto. He is also expected to meet with President Nicolas Maduro and Executive Vice President Delcy Rodriguez.

According to Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, Lavrov's talks with the Venezuelan leadership will cover the prospects for developing the Russian-Venezuelan strategic partnership, as well as coordination within the UN and other multilateral platforms.

Maduro had previously said that Lavrov would carry a "very important message" from Russian President Vladimir Putin.

After Venezuela, the Russian Foreign Minister will travel to Rio de Janeiro, where he will participate in the G20 ministerial meeting on February 21-22.