CARACAS/BEIJING, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Venezuelan government led by President Nicolas Maduro has expressed readiness to sit down with the opposition with no preconditions and seek a solution to the political crisis, but it rejected a document issued by the International Contact Group in Montevideo, Uruguay as biased.

"How can there be preconditions between Venezuelans? The government has been saying: you are Venezuelan, I am Venezuelan. Let's sit down together. We have our Constitution. Let us sit down and engage in dialogue. Let us try to find a solution without any kind of strings attached, or any kind of preconditions," Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza told reporters at the UN Headquarters in New York on Tuesday.

"This kind of arrogance (by insisting on preconditions) would just hinder dialogue. That's why we say we are waiting for the opposition to get through its pursuit of independence from the U.S. government ... and then we can sit down with the opposition and agree and negotiate in line with the Constitution, and find a Venezuelan solution."

Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido has set Feb. 23, a month after he declared himself interim president, as the date to take presidential powers.

On Friday, the Venezuelan government rejected the Montevideo document which was signed by the European Union (EU) and 11 Latin American and European countries. Bolivia and Mexico abstained.

The declaration issued following the group's first meeting in the Uruguayan capital on Thursday backed a new round of presidential elections in Venezuela as the right-wing opposition has been demanding.

Maduro won 2018 Venezuelan presidential election by garnering over 6 million votes, some 4 million more than his closest rival, and was inaugurated for a second term on Jan. 10.

Guaido, head of the Venezuelan National Assembly, declared himself interim president during an anti-government rally on Jan. 23, a move which was immediately recognized by the United States.

Maduro accused Washington of orchestrating an operation to impose, through a coup d'etat, a puppet regime in Venezuela.

Russia has warned the United States against intervention in the international affairs of Venezuela, including the use of force.

Washington will face violations of international law if the United States intervenes, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a phone conversation on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Russia has prepared a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) draft resolution supporting dialogue in Venezuela, contrary to a U.S. proposal that paves the way for an invasion, Lavrov told a press conference in Moscow on Tuesday.

Lavrov says Russia supports the initiative of Mexico and Uruguay on creating conditions for national dialogue with the participation from all political entities in Venezuela, he said.

Since last year, the Trump administration imposed sanctions on Venezuela's government authorities and military. Maduro, in response, announced the severing of diplomatic and political ties with Washington.

Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez said Monday that no sanctions will unnerve or fracture national dignity.

The minister made the remarks at the start of visits to collect signatures from military and civilian personnel in the National Bolivarian Armed Forces (FANB) against the sanctions and threats from the U.S. government. Enditem

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