Russian and American diplomats discussed the problems, arose in the bilateral relations recently

Georgy Mamedov, Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia, has reported to Igor Ivanov, the head of the Foreign Ministry, on the results of his meeting with US Ambassador James Collins. It has been reported the conversation had been a "planned" one. However, RIA Novosti learned from diplomatic sources that during the meeting rather acute problems which recently arose in the Russian-American relations were discussed. The matter concerns, in particular, the Americans' intention to send a large group of Russian diplomats out of the United States, as well as the US Administration's contacts with Ilyas Akhmadov, emissary of the Chechen separatists, the so-called foreign minister of the non-existent Ichkeria, RIA Novosti reports. Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said today, too, that the Russian Foreign Ministry would later issue a statement on the mentioned problems.