MOSCOW. June 26 (Interfax) - Moscow insists on lifting the U.S. sanctions against Caracas in response to the U.S. call to step up assistance to Venezuela amid the coronavirus pandemic, Director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's Latin America Department Alexander Shchetinin told Interfax.
"Responding to those words which were spoken in Geneva, we can say that if there is concern about the plight of Venezuelans in their home country, clearly, the most important step in this area should be the lifting of the sanctions imposed on Venezuela, which affect crucial areas of the activity of the national economy and directly project on the social situation in the country. If there are concerns, let everyone begin with themselves," Shchetinin said, replying to a question from Interfax on Friday.