#Romania2019.eu/ForMin Melescanu: Creation of international contact group for Venezuela starts from need for reconciliation

Minister of Foreign Affairs Teodor Melescanu said on Friday, before joining the Gymnich informal meeting of EU foreign ministers, that the initiative to set up an international contact group to help organize new presidential elections in Venezuela starts from the need for reconciliation. 

"It is, in my view, a very important discussion for the European Union, because we have managed to have a certain approach to this issue, starting from the need for reconciliation and to organize as soon as possible early elections in Venezuela and secondly, because the decision was adopted to set up a contact group of EU and Latin American countries to contribute to carrying out this project," Melescanu said in a statement to the press. 

He added that Juan Guaido's recognition as Venezuela's interim President depends on the position of each member state. 

"With regard to the recognition of the President of the National Assembly, Mr Guaido, as interim President of Venezuela, this strictly depends on how each member state wishes to position itself. For us, the problem is to start a process that paves the way for elections. Otherwise, each state is free to adopt its own stance. (...) As far as sanctions are concerned, the idea to impose sanctions has largely been accepted, yet so as to not affect the Venezuelan population, but targeted at particular persons," Melescanu said. 

EU's chief diplomat Federica Mogherini announced on Thursday that the European Union will set up an international contact group to help chart a peaceful way to new presidential elections in Venezuela.