Moscow and Washington Resume Dialogue on Diplomatic Disputes

Russia and the United States have held a new meeting focused on so-called mutual irritants in bilateral relations, Interfax reported, citing Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov.

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org by Sergey Korovkin 84, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Russian Foreign Ministry building in Moscow

"We had the opportunity to discuss the entire agenda at a fairly serious, professional, and deep level,” Ryabkov said.

According to the deputy minister, some progress has been achieved on individual issues, but key questions remain unresolved. He did not disclose specific details of the discussions, noting that further efforts may be required.

"Additional work may be needed, including impulses at the political level, in order to move forward,” Ryabkov emphasized.

He added that another round of contacts could take place next spring, although no specific date has been agreed upon.

Background of the Consultations

One of the first meetings dedicated to addressing bilateral irritants took place in February, shortly after Donald Trump returned to office as President of the United States. During those talks, delegations discussed the normalization of embassy operations and banking services for diplomatic missions.

In September, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced preparations for a third round of consultations focusing on visa issues and the functioning of embassies. At the time, Lavrov noted that there are "many irritants in Russian-American relations” and that dialogue with Washington has been progressing, though more slowly than desired.

Washington's Position

Meanwhile, the US Embassy in Russia stated earlier that there are currently no firm agreements on holding new negotiations in this format.