19 Jul 2018 17:45

Moscow ready for dialogue on cyber security with Washington, ball is in U.S.' court - Russian special presidential envoy

MOSCOW. July 19 (Interfax) - Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump understand that talks on cyber security are needed, Russian special presidential envoy for cyber security Andrei Krutskikh said.

"In general, both leaders understand that the dialogue is needed. This is the primary and principled agreement, but how the Americans will manage to make concrete this common idea about the necessity of talks between the United States and Moscow, this is already they who should give us reciprocal signals," Krutskikh told reporters.

"If they are ready to begin talks, we are open for that, but the cyber ball is in their court in the form of our proposals," he said.

A new round of cyber security consultations instead of the one, which has been foiled on the U.S.' initiative in late February of this year, "cannot be announced," he said.

"The talks are a product of agreement between the two sides. This is why all of our proposals were handed over to the Americans several times. Now, this depends on the Americans whether they are ready to respond concretely at the level of experts or at the political level," he said.