Mike Pompeo in Moscow: "The time has come for Nicolás Maduro to leave and we hope that Russia's support will come to an end"

The Secretary of State North America, Mike Pompeo, said Tuesday that he had asked his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, that Moscow stops supporting Nicolás Maduro, which was rejected.

"The time has come for Nicolás Maduro to leave, this has only caused misery to the Venezuelan people and we hope that the Russian support to Maduro will cease"Pompeo said at a joint press conference with Lavrov after a meeting in Sochi.

Although they still do not agree on the crisis in Venezuela, previously Lavrov said the talks with Pompeo "infuse some optimism"

"I think it's time to start building a new, more constructive and accountable matrix of mutual perceptions of problems, and we're ready for that," he added.

The head of Russian diplomacy said Moscow understood that both sides had accumulated "suspicion and suspicion"but pointed out that Russia and the United States earn nothing.

"On the contrary, Mutual ferocity increases the risks for us and your safetyand this worries the global community, "Lavrov told Pompeo.

According to the Russian minister, one of the conditions for the stabilization of bilateral relations is the "re-establishment of a dialogue based on trust at different levels, from the highest level to the working level".

"Let's try, let's see what comes out", Lavrov invited the Secretary of State.

In turn, Pompeo expressed satisfaction to hold its second meeting in such a short time with his Russian counterpart He added that he will soon have the opportunity to meet with him at the end of June on the occasion of the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan.

"Each of our countries naturally defends its own interests. Not always and not in all areas, we are opposite sides"he said.

Pompeo stressed that "there are many subjects"in which the interests of both countries coincide, so we must do everything to"improve and strengthen the points and aspects in which relationships can be improved"

Later, it is expected that the two diplomats will meet the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin.