Venezuelan govt backs peace talks with opposition: President

Caracas, April 26 Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has affirmed his government's support for peace talks with the opposition as an international forum on the country's political crisis opened in neighbouring Colombia.

Convened by Colombian President Gustavo Petro in Bogota, the International Conference on the Political Process in Venezuela aims to promote dialogue between Maduro's government and opposition groups, reports Xinhua news agency.

"Venezuela promotes and supports the peace talks," Maduro posted on his Twitter account, adding that his government has a "vocation for dialogue" and has "always sought" an agreement towards recovery and the prosperity of the people.

Speaking on his new television program, Maduro said he wanted "the international conference in Bogota to be a complete success for President Gustavo Petro, for Venezuela, for Latin America and for the Caribbean.

"We are committed to doing everything that needs to be done to make the conference a success for peace and the sovereignty of Venezuela," Maduro said.

He stressed, however, that to make progress towards dialogue with the opposition, it was necessary to "lift all US sanctions" against the South American country.