Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro spoke for the first time Wednesday about his phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump, saying it was "respectful" and "cordial."

"From the White House they called to Miraflores palace. And I had a phone call with president Donald Trump. The press of the world have spoken about it," Maduro said during a government event in Caracas.

The Venezuelan leader also said that ‘if that call means that steps are being taken towards a respectful dialogue between states, between countries, then dialogue is welcome, diplomacy is welcome, because we will always seek peace.’

Trump had confirmed days earlier that the phone call had taken place.

The call happened amid U.S. military strikes against vessels suspected of smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean and off Venezuela’s Caribbean coast.