Russia expects today's talks between Russian and American diplomats in Istanbul to be the first in a series of meetings aimed at bringing the two countries' positions closer together to resolve problems in their bilateral relations. This was stated by Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, quoted by Reuters, reports BTA.
At a press conference, Zakharova stressed that the goal of the talks in Turkey is to remove "irritants" in relations between Moscow and Washington.
“We expect today's meeting to be the first in a series of expert consultations that will bring our positions closer to those of the American side, contribute to overcoming disagreements and strengthen confidence-building measures“, she said, quoted by TASS.
According to her, the consultations in Istanbul are being held at an expert level between representatives of the Russian Foreign Ministry and the US State Department. The main topics include the resumption of contacts between the two countries, the work of diplomatic missions and other issues of mutual interest.
The talks between the Russian and US delegations are being held at the residence of the US Consul General in Istanbul. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov specified that “senior diplomats and experts“ are participating in them.
The meeting is taking place behind closed doors, and it was not announced in advance how long it will last. Foreign journalists are waiting outside the residence for the talks to conclude, TASS notes.