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Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Wednesday announced that Russian and US diplomats are set to meet in Istanbul on February 27 to discuss the work of the two countries' embassies, reported TASS.
At a press conference, as he wrapped up his trip to Qatar, Lavrov said the meeting would focus on creating better conditions for diplomatic missions in both countries and addressing rows over staffing levels and properties of the missions. Lavrov arrived Tuesday night in Doha for a visit, as part of his Middle East working trip, reported Xinhua. The agenda for the upcoming meeting, as explained by Lavrov, indicates that the two sides will first seek to remove technical barriers to diplomatic relations before moving toward other ambitious goals. The meeting in Istanbul will make it clear "how fast and efficiently the sides can move forward," reported TASS. In a significant shift in US foreign policy, President Donald Trump's administration has made a surprising move towards diplomacy with Russia. Last week's Russia-US talks in Saudi Arabia marked a departure from previous efforts to isolate Russia over the ongoing war in Ukraine. Instead, Moscow and Washington agreed to work together towards ending the conflict and strengthening their diplomatic and economic ties. This development comes after a phone call between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 12, where they discussed a range of topics, including the Ukraine war. The talks in Saudi Arabia were led by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, and resulted in a commitment to explore mutual opportunities for ending the war. The shift in US policy has been met with mixed reactions, with some European leaders expressing concern over the exclusion of Ukraine from the talks. Despite this, the US and Russia have agreed to restore staffing at each other's embassies, a move seen as a step towards improving relations. He also said the issue of frozen Russian assets will not disappear from the Ukraine settlement agenda. The issue of frozen Russian assets is unrelated to the operation of the embassies. It will not disappear from the agenda of settling the conflict in Ukraine. "As for our assets, which have been stolen primarily by Europeans, no, you know, there has been no talk about it. But I have no doubts that this issue will not disappear as part of the settlement," said Lavrov. (ANI)
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