CARACAS, July 27. /TASS/. Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez has held a meeting with Russia's Ambassador to Caracas Vladimir Zaemsky and discussed strengthening bilateral military-technical cooperation, the Venezuelan defense ministry said on Friday.

"Vladimir Padrino Lopez held an important meeting with Vladimir Zaemsky to discuss strengthening military-technical cooperation," the ministry wrote on its official Twitter account.

The meeting was held "with the aim of strengthening diplomatic relations between Venezuela and the Russian Federation," the ministry added.

On January 23 Venezuelan National Assembly Speaker Juan Guaido proclaimed himself as the country's acting president. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has described it as a coup attempt and announced severing diplomatic relations with the United States.

Guaido was recognized as interim president by the Lima Group countries (except for Mexico), as well as by Albania, Georgia, the United States, and the Organization of American States. Several EU countries came forward with support for the Venezuelan parliament and expressed hope for new elections to resolve the crisis. Maduro was supported by Russia, Belarus, Bolivia, Iran, China, Cuba, Nicaragua, El Salavador, Syria and Turkey.