Lavrov and Rubio discuss removal of 'barriers,' set up by the previous U.S. Administration, Russia claims
In a Saturday phone call, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke with U.S. State Secretary Marco Rubio about the situation in Ukraine as well as the "unilateral obstacles" that were set up by the previous U.S. Administration.
Peace talks to end the war in Ukraine will begin in the next few days, after U.S. president Donald Trump shocked European Allies when he called Russian President Vladimir Putin and declared an immediate start to talks.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said that during the Saturday call, initiated by the U.S., Lavrov, Rubio and their respective presidents agreed to restore "mutually respect interstate dialogue".
The statement stated that the two countries agreed to keep in touch to solve problems in their bilateral relations. "In order to remove the unilateral barriers to beneficial trade, economic, and investment cooperation, inherited from previous administrations," it said.
The specific barriers that were being discussed are not immediately apparent.
The two sides have expressed their willingness to work together on urgent international issues such as the settlement of the Ukraine crisis, the situation in Palestine, and the Middle East generally.
Former President Joe Biden, along with Kyiv's international allies, imposed sanctions on Moscow for its three-year invasion of Ukraine. The aim was to weaken the Russian economy and limit the Kremlin war efforts.
Trump and Putin talked for more than an hour on the phone Wednesday. It was the first direct contact known between U.S. presidents and Russian leaders since Putin called Biden just before ordering tens thousands of troops to Ukraine in February 2022.
The Russian Foreign Ministry also stated that Lavrov, Rubio and others discussed how to improve the working conditions of Russian diplomatic missions in the U.S.
In a statement, the ministry stated that "it was agreed to hold a meeting of specialists in the very near term to discuss specific measures to remove obstacles for the work of Russians and Americans abroad." Reporting by Lidia Kelley in Melbourne, Editing by Gareth Jones & Alistair Bell
(source: Reuters)
