The United States and Russia are planning a new meeting on the issue of restoring the work of their embassies, but no dates have been set yet, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said, quoted by TASS, BTA reported.
"Yes, (the meeting) will take place. There are no dates yet. But there is an understanding that this contact is necessary," Ryabkov told journalists. He noted that there was progress on the issue of restoring the work of diplomatic missions.
On April 10, the second round of Russian-American consultations on the normalization of the work of embassies was held in Istanbul. After the meeting, Russian Ambassador to Washington Alexander Darchiev, who headed Moscow's delegation, noted that the two countries had exchanged notes with an agreement on guarantees for unhindered banking services for diplomatic missions. Darchiev added that Russia and the United States had agreed on additional measures to facilitate the movement of diplomats and the issuance of diplomatic visas.
Ryabkov said today that the Russian-American consultations also touched on economic issues, but that at the moment "the key issues are different".
He said in response to a journalist's question that he could not confirm whether Russia and the United States had discussed the possibility of resuming Russian gas supplies to Europe.
Ryabkov also commented on the prospects for preserving the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. He said that "there are no prospects" this treaty to be preserved if the US does not undertake "cardinal changes for the better" in its policy towards Russia. The diplomat recalled that the treaty expires on February 5, 2026. "The text provides for a one-time extension for 5 years. We have long said everything we can say on this topic," concluded Ryabkov.