UN Chief Guterres Meets with Arreaza, Expresses Full Support for Venezuelan Dialogue

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza insisted Wednesday that his government is working to reach an agreement with the country's opposition in order to establish political and economic peace in the country, adding that U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed to him during a meeting at the organization's headquarters his full support for the dialogue efforts taking place in Barbados.

RELATED:
Arreaza Slams US for Seeking to 'Colonize Venezuela'

Arreaza stressed that during the meeting, the two talked about the process of dialogue that the government maintains with the Venezuelan opposition in Barbados in order to "reach a political agreement for peace and tolerance."

Following the meeting, the Venezuelan top diplomat spoke to international media, saying that in the meeting with Guterres, he expressed to him Venezuela's concerns over the report presented by the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet regarding the political and economic situation of the South American country.

"We thank the UN Secretary-General for welcoming us to New York. He expressed his full support for the political dialogue process in Venezuela, facilitated by Norway. We review joint projects with UN agencies to deepen our cooperation"

"We expressed our disagreement about how that report was constructed, as announced and disseminated," said Arreaza referring to how his government issued its own response to the report stating its objections and observations regarding the methodology of data collection, which Caracas claims it favored the side of the right-wing opposition. 

On the renewed peace efforts, which the government of President Nicolas Maduro is engaged in with the opposition in Barbados, the foreign minister expressed the importance of reaching a political agreement for the peace of Venezuela to be able to process, deepen and resolve the conflict.