Russia's Lavrov urges U.S. to cancel plans to oust Venezuela's Maduro

Reuters
FILE PHOTO - Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attends a meeting with Secretary General of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Thomas Greminger in Moscow, Russia April 24, 2019. REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Sunday that Russia condemns what he called a campaign to overthrow Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, arranged by the United States, and urged Washington to cancel its "irresponsible" plans. Lavrov made his statements at the start of a meeting with Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza in Moscow. Lavrov is traveling on Monday to Finland, where he is expected to hold rare face-to-face talks with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. (Reporting by Maria Tsvetkova; Editing by Frances Kerry)