Venezuela: Dialogue Table meets to 'enhance democracy'

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

ANKARA (AA) - Venezuela's National Dialogue Table, established between the Maduro government and the opposition, met to reach "great deals" to strengthen democracy, the country's president has said.

"Excellent meeting with the National Dialogue Table! We move forward with a firm and sustained step in the dialogue with the different political sectors of the country that contribute to reaching great agreements to strengthen democracy and the Peace of the Republic," Nicolas Maduro tweeted on Monday, after the meeting at Miraflores Palace.

The main objective was to "strengthen agreements for peaceful coexistence", according to a press release from the Communication and Information Ministry.

Communication and Information Minister Jorge Rodriguez, Education Minister Aristobulo Isturiz and Miranda State Governor Hector Rodriguez participated in the meeting as the delegation of the Maduro overnment.

For the opposition part, leaders Henri Falcon, Luis Romero, Javier Bertucci, Claudio Fermin, Rafael Marin, Felipe Mujica, Segundo Menendez and Timoteo Zambrano participated in the meeting.

Cited by Caracas-based broadcaster TeleSur, Solutions for Venezuela Party leader Claudio Fermin stressed that reducing abstention in the coming parliamentary elections was among the agenda of the meeting.

He added that "favorable changes" occur for the country with the agreements already established.

Early September, the Maduro government and five opposition party leaders announced they agreed on starting a new dialogue process to tackle the problems facing the oil-rich nation.

The Mesa de Dialogo Nacional -- or National Dialogue Table -- process was established to focus on future elections, prisoner release and unified opposition to the U.S. blockade.

Since the beginning of the year, Venezuela has been embroiled in political unrest as Maduro and opposition leader Juan Guaido engaged in a power battle, while the country's economy has been in precipitous decline following a global downturn in the price of crude oil, the country's main export item.