Russian Foreign Ministry website released a message on the 12th, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Blinken the same day by telephone, the two sides agreed to meet separately in the Icelandic capital Reykjavik on the 20th of this month.
Lavrov and Blinkon discussed Russia-U.S. cooperation under the framework of the Arctic Council and Russia’s succession to the Arctic Council, the source said. The two sides agreed to meet separately on the 20th during the ministerial meeting of the Arctic Council in Reykjavik to discuss hot issues in bilateral and international relations.
During the call, the two sides also discussed recent communication arrangements between Russia and the United States, including the U.S. proposal to hold a Russian-U.S. summit, and exchanged views on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, the resumption of implementation of the comprehensive agreement on the Iranian nuclear issue and strategic stability.
The U.S. State Department said in a statement the same day, Blinking and Lavrov discussed the upcoming Arctic Council ministerial meeting and the potential for cooperation between the two countries in Arctic affairs, Blinking asked Russia to release two U.S. citizens serving sentences in Russia, and outlined U.S. policy toward North Korea. The two sides said they would continue discussions on issues of common concern.
U.S. President Joe Biden said in April that he proposed a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Europe this summer to discuss bilateral relations. Biden said in early May that he hoped to meet with Putin during a visit to Europe in June. U.S.-Russian relations have been strained in recent years. Since biden’s administration took office, the two sides have achieved limited cooperation in arms control, but differences have been evident and confrontations have intensified on issues such as Ukraine, cybersecurity, human rights and election meddling.
