NEW YORK: Pakistan on Monday expressed “profound concern” over the developments in Venezuela, warning that escalating tensions in the country posed risks to regional and international peace and security.
The statement was made at an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) summoned to discuss the recent developments in Venezuela. This is also the first meeting for the year of the UNSC, with Somalia in the chair.
The US had launched a shock military operation in Venezuela on Saturday, with special forces capturing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in a nighttime raid.
Pakistan’s Acting Permanent Representative Ambassador Usman Jadoon said in his address that at a time when the world was already facing multiple crises, instability in the region “does not augur well for regional and international peace and security”.
He reminded Council members that the UN Charter bound states to refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, and to uphold sovereign equality, non-interference in internal affairs and the peaceful settlement of disputes.
