UPDATE 1-Maduro and Trump should meet to "find common ground" -Venezuela minister

Venezuela's foreign minister said on Wednesday that the United States was trying to overthrow the government of Nicolas Maduro and that his country had lost $30 billion in assets "confiscated" since Nov. 2017 under sanctions. Jorge Arreaza, addressing the U.N. Human Rights Council, suggested that Maduro and U.S. President Donald Trump meet to "try to find common ground and explain their differences".

Maduro also "stands ready for dialogue" with the Venezuelan opposition, he said. Dozens of diplomats, mainly from Latin American countries, walked out as Arreaza began to speak, while some European ambassadors boycotted the speech.

The United States and dozens of other nations have recognised opposition leader Juan Guaido as Venezuela's legitimate president, but Maduro still controls the military, state institutions and oil company Petroleos de Venezuela SA , which provides 90 percent of the country's export revenue. "There is an attempt by external powers to overthrow an elected government, this goes against all rules of international law," Arreaza said.

"Next year Venezuela should not have come back and refer to the victims of war against my country, Venezuelan blood spilled, U.S. Marines in Venezuela," he said. "ILLEGAL PILLAGE"

The United States targeted Venezuela's government with new sanctions on Monday and called on allies to freeze the assets of state-owned PDVSA after deadly violence blocked humanitarian aid from reaching the country over the weekend. The "blockade" against Caracas amounts to "theft of the assets and gold" of Venezuela, Arreaza said.

Some $30 billion in state assets had been confiscated since November 2017, he said, adding: "This is the illegal pillage of the resources of our state oil company in the United States." U.S. refiner Citgo Petroleum Corp is cutting ties with its parent PDVSA to comply with U.S. sanctions imposed on the OPEC country, two people close to the decision told Reuters on Tuesday.

The Bank of England has blocked $1.5 billion and Belgium $1.4 billion, Arreaza said. The Bank of England has previously declined to comment on questions about Venezuela's gold, citing client privacy considerations. "The humanitarian crisis is being used as a pretext for foreign intervention in my country," Arreaza said.

In weekend clashes at the Colombian border, Venezuelan security forces acted with "proportionality and caution", as humanitarian aid was burned, he said. Earlier, an aide to President Ivan Duque of neighbouring Colombia called for action to end Venezuela's humanitarian crisis and bring about a political transition leading to free elections. (Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Gareth Jones)