Russia, US to hold 3rd round of bilateral consultations soon: Ryabkov
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Russia and the US are preparing for a third round of bilateral talks, with key issues including flight resumptions, visa challenges, and Iran’s nuclear program.
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Russian Deputy Foreign Minister and head of delegation Sergey Ryabkov attends a Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) conference in Beijing of the UN Security Council's five permanent members (P5) China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, China, Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019 (Pool Photo via AP, File)
A third round of Russia-US bilateral consultations on key issues is expected to take place in the near future, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov announced on Tuesday.
“Bilateral issues. There is movement here, and we are working to increase its pace and intensity,” Ryabkov stated.
“It is too early to talk about a specific date, but I hope the round will take place very soon,” he added.
Russia seeks progress on flights, visas, and diplomatic property
Among the primary issues on the table are the resumption of direct flights, visa facilitation, and the return of diplomatic property seized by the United States.
Ryabkov emphasized that while none of these matters are simple, visa-related topics may be comparatively more manageable than restoring direct flights.
This difficulty "in no way discourages Russia,” he said. “Difficulties, on the contrary, only mobilize us. We will seek a clearer response from the Americans to our proposals in this area and on the equally difficult issue of returning illegally confiscated diplomatic real estate.”
US-Russian dialogue on Iran nuclear program
Ryabkov also revealed that Russia and the United States continue to work on international topics, including developments in the Iranian nuclear program. He highlighted the Middle East as a core area of discussion.
In early June, the Kremlin confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin has offered to use Moscow’s close ties with Tehran to help advance stalled talks over Iran’s nuclear program.
ZNPP fuel issue requires US-Russia cooperation
Another pressing issue, according to Ryabkov, is the use of US-supplied nuclear fuel at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP). He underscored the necessity of dialogue with Washington to address this matter.
“Without dialogue with the Americans, it will not be possible to work out one or another solution objectively. This is an obvious fact for everyone,” he said.
Ryabkov added that technical decisions on the issue should be left to the plant operator and Rosatom’s management, and should not be politicized.
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