Venezuela: Guaidò asks for Conte, Salvini, Di Maio meeting

(ANSA) - Rome, February 6 - Self-proclaimed interim Venezuelan president Juan Guaidò has written to Italian Premier Giueppe Conte and Deputy Premiers Matteo Salvini and Luigi Di Maio asking them to meet an official delegation from the South American country's parliament "as soon as possible", sources said on Wednesday. Guaidò said the aim was for an "exchange of opinions on the decisive transition that Venezuela is experiencing".
    "We would like to present the need for free democratic elections in Venezuela in a short period of time thanks to the support of the international community," he added.
    Unlike the United States and other EU countries, Italy has not recognised Guaidò as interim president. Salvini on Tuesday said Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was an outlaw and fresh elections should be held as soon as possible after last July's allegedly rigged ballot.
    In asking for the delegation's meeting with Conte, Guaidò said he could take part by phone.