MOSCOW

The Belarusian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday its head Maxim Ryzhenkov discussed the situation in Iran and Venezuela in a phone talk with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov.

The two diplomats also discussed current issues of bilateral relations, the schedule of upcoming meetings and events at high and top levels, the ministry said in a statement.

"The situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela was also discussed. The heads of the foreign policy departments of Belarus and Russia emphasized the inadmissibility of foreign interference in the internal affairs of other states and expressed hope for the earliest settlement of the situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran," the statement said.

In a separate statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed Lavrov and Ryzhenkov spoke over the phone, noting the two ministers "exchanged opinions on a row of international issues."

The Belarusian Foreign Ministry also issued an official statement on the situation in Iran, condemning "interference" in the internal affairs of the sovereign state.

"The Republic of Belarus is closely monitoring the developments in the Islamic Republic of Iran. We are convinced that the government of Iran and the Iranian people are capable of overcoming existing challenges and maintaining stability in the country," it said.

"Based on the fundamental principles of the UN Charter, Belarus categorically rejects any forms of interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states," the statement added.

Iran has been rocked by anti-government protests since last month amid worsening economic conditions and a record depreciation of the national currency, the rial, which has fallen to 145,000 against the US dollar, driving up prices of essential goods.

Iranian officials have accused the US and Israel of backing what they describe as “armed rioters” in the country.

On Jan. 3, a US military operation ordered by Trump that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores. They now face narcoterrorism charges in New York.