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Despite Sanctions, Russia Ready for More Dialogue with US

Despite Sanctions, Russia Ready for More Dialogue with US
folder_openRussia access_time6 years ago
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Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Sunday his country was ready for more engagement with the US on North Korea, Syria, Ukraine and other pressing matters, even as Moscow braced for new sanctions from the Trump administration.

Despite Sanctions, Russia Ready for More Dialogue with US

Following a meeting with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson for the first since the US imposed the additional penalties, Lavrov said Russia and the US had agreed to resume a suspended high-level diplomatic channel and Washington would send its Ukraine envoy to Moscow for negotiations.

It wasn't immediately clear whether the US shared Lavrov's rosy view of the meeting. "We felt that our American counterparts need to keep the dialogue open," Lavrov said. "There's no alternative to that."

Lavrov said Tillerson had asked him for details about Moscow's recent move to expel American diplomats and shutter a US recreational facility on the outskirts of Moscow. Lavrov said he explained to Tillerson how Russia will carry out its response, but did not publicly disclose details.

Last month, the Kremlin said the US must cut its embassy and consulate staff in Russia by 755 people, a move that echoed former President Barack Obama's action last year to kick out Russian diplomats in punishment for Moscow's meddling in the 2016 American election. The Russian announcement caused confusion because the US is believed to have far fewer than 755 American employees in the country.

In their hour-long meeting, Lavrov said, Tillerson agreed to continue a dialogue between US Undersecretary of State Thomas Shannon and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov.

Lavrov and Tillerson met on the sidelines of an Asian regional gathering in the Philippines. It was their first face-to-face conversation since Congress passed legislation in July that makes it harder for Trump to ever ease penalties on Russia.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team

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