Russia favors better relations with U.S., wants them to be trusting, equitable - ambassador
MOSCOW. Sept 8 (Interfax) - Moscow wants better relations between Russia and the United States, new Russian Ambassador to the U.S. Anatoly Antonov, who presented his credentials to U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday, told journalists in Washington.
"We favor better bilateral relations, and we want our relations to be trusting, mutually respectful, equitable, and certainly mutually beneficial. I am firmly convinced that our good relations are in the interests of both Russia and the United States of America," Antonov said in remarks shown by the Rossiya 1 (VGTRK) television channel.
Antonov's meeting with Trump proceeded constructively, despite a tense situation in bilateral relations prompted by the situation with Russian diplomatic property in the U.S., the TV channel said.
Antonov, who formerly served as a deputy foreign minister, was appointed new Russian ambassador to the U.S. in August 2017 to replace previous ambassador Sergei Kislyak.
Antonov arrived in Washington last week. He said on September 6 that he had presented copies of his credentials at the U.S. Department of State and expected a meeting with the U.S. president as stipulated by protocol.