OSLO (Reuters) – Delegates from Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s government and the opposition will both attend the Oslo Forum this week, the Norwegian Foreign Ministry said on Monday, offering hope that talks between the two parties will resume.
Maduro’s government withdrew from talks with the opposition last October after just two months.
The dialogue, facilitated by Norway, had been focused finding a solution to Venezuela’s economic and political crisis, which has forced more than six million Venezuelans to flee the country in recent years.
The Maduro administration is reportedly reluctant to resume talks if Norway continues to facilitate the process, sources told Reuters in May.
Maduro has also previously said further talks would depend on Washington totally lifting sanctions against Venezuela, among other demands.
The Norwegian foreign ministry announced on its official Twitter page that both parties would be present at the forum, an international event focused on conflict mediation, on Tuesday and Wednesday.
It did not, however, confirm whether a meeting would take place between the two, and did not comment on the Venezuelan government’s position.
(Reporting by Diego Ore and Vivian Sequera; Writing by Isabel Woodford, Editing by Angus MacSwan)
