20 Oct 2017 13:20

Resumption of strategic stability dialogue with U.S. initiated by Russia - Lavrov

MOSCOW. Oct 20 (Interfax) - Russia initiated the resumption of a dialogue on every issue of interest to the United States, including strategic stability, being aware of the problems experienced by the new U.S. administration, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at the Non-Proliferation Conference in Moscow.

"Once the Trump administration moved into the White House, we declared our readiness to resume our dialogue in every field. We knew well the circumstances under which the administration assumed office and what unthinkable pressure and accusations it had encountered. Those who bet on the Democratic candidate are still trying to vent their frustration," Lavrov said.

"We realized that the Trump administration was dealing with a complicated situation and expressed readiness to resume our dialogue in the areas and to the extent that the Trump administration was comfortable with," he said.

"I said so to the U.S. president when he received me at the Oval Office in the spring of this year, and before that, we discussed the issue with [U.S. Secretary of State] Rex Tillerson, who was received by President Putin," Lavrov said.

"In the end, the Ryabkov-Shannon communication channel was established on the level of deputy foreign policy chiefs; aside from the matters it addressed at the latest meeting, the channel was used to analyze where we stand on strategic stability," he said.

"The channel's agenda was mostly bilateral, and ways of preventing confrontation from going into an uncontrollable spiral were discussed," Lavrov said.