The European Union (EU) does not recognize the legitimacy of Venezuela's interim president Delcy Rodriguez, but will continue to ensure targeted interaction with the Venezuelan authorities, based on its own interests. Anitta Hipper, Lead Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the European Commission of the EU, announced this at a press briefing in Brussels.

According to Hipper, the EU has repeatedly reiterated that the Venezuelan authorities received their mandate as a result of an electoral process that did not take into account the will of the Venezuelan people to achieve democratic change.

The future of Venezuela must be clearly defined within the framework of an inclusive dialogue that will lead to democratic transformation and therefore involve all actors committed to democracy, including the democratically elected leaders of the opposition, said Hipper.

What the EU will do in this case is the same as what it has done so far. Despite the fact that the EU does not recognize the legitimacy of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and the same applies to Delcy Rodriguez, the EU will continue to engage with the Venezuelan authorities in a targeted manner to defend its own interests and principles, the European Commission lead spokesperson noted.