Russia-U.S. communication channels remain open - Russian deputy FM

MOSCOW. June 27 (Interfax) - Moscow and Washington remain in contact through various channels, and Russia intends to continue this kind of communication, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Thursday.

"The channels for communication with Washington remain open. Just the day before yesterday, Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov had a very important phone call with his U.S. vis-a-vis," Ryabkov said in the 60 Minutes program on the Rossiya 1 television channel (VGTRK).

"Contacts are also being maintained through other channels, those of the presidential administrations, or, for example, through the channels of the security services, while diplomatic agencies remain in contact regarding their issues. All of this also happens regularly," he said.

Ryabkov noted the importance of these communication channels and the functions performed by ambassadors and agencies. "We will discard none of that. You may view the genre of diplomatic demarches however you like, but this is also an important element of the overall work, especially in the current period of crisis," Ryabkov said.