FILE PHOTO: Opposition supporters take part in a rally against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's government and to commemorate the 61st anniversary of the end of the dictatorship of Marcos Perez Jimenez in Caracas, Venezuela January 23, 2019. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins/File Photo

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia on Friday offered to mediate between the government and opposition in Venezuela if necessary, saying it was ready to cooperate with all political forces that acted responsibly, the RIA news agency reported.

The comments came a day after Moscow said Nicolas Maduro was Venezuela’s legitimate president and not opposition leader Juan Guaido who declared himself interim leader on Wednesday, winning the support of Washington and parts of Latin America.

The RIA news agency cited Alexander Shchetinin, the Russian foreign ministry’s director for its Latin American department, as making the mediation offer.