Japan's Abe expresses concern over Venezuela crisis, pitches for 'democratic' solution

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Monday that Japan wants a stable, democratic and prompt solution to the Venezuela situation shortly after France said it recognised national assembly president Juan Guaido as the country's interim leader.

Abe made the statement after a summit with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is in Japan on a two-day visit aimed at forging an "alliance of multilateralists" to resist U.S. President Donald Trump's "America First" approach to trade and China's pursuit of narrow national interests.