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  • Lavrov ready to meet Blinken under certain conditions

    Lavrov ready to meet Blinken under certain conditions

    The development comes two days after Blinken spoke on the phone with Lavrov and conveyed the US’ grave concern over Russia’s “unacceptable detention” of American journalist…reports Asian Lite News

    On the sidelines of his upcoming visit to New York on April 24-25, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is ready to meet US Secretary of State Antony Blinken if there is willingness from Washington, says Moscow’s Permanent Representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzya.

    Addressing a press conference here on Monday on Russia’s assumption of the rotating presidency of the Security Council for the month of April, Nebenzya said: “I think that depends on two factors. First, where Secretary Blinken will be at that time, and on his ability and willingness to meet with our Foreign Minister,” TASS News Agency reported.

    The Russian side has never “run away from whatever meetings with those people who want these meetings”, the envoy claimed.

    “If such a meeting is requested, I presume that Minister Lavrov will be ready to meet Secretary Blinken,” he added.

    UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will meet Lavrov “when he is in town”, Stephane Dujarric, the UN chief’s spokesman, told reporters on Monday.

    “I have no doubt that when Lavrov is here, he and the Secretary-General will have a sit-down,” Xinhua news agency quoted Dujarric as saying.

    “The sit-down would be about going through the long list of issues and agenda items between the Russian Federation and the UN Secretariat,” he added.

    The development comes two days after Blinken spoke on the phone with Lavrov and conveyed the US’ grave concern over Russia’s “unacceptable detention” of American journalist Evan Gershkovich over espionage charges.

    A State Department statement said that during the call on Sunday, Blinken called for The Wall Street Journal reporter’s “immediate release and also urged “the Kremlin to immediately release wrongfully detained US citizen Paul Whelan”.

    The two top officials met last month for the first time since Russia waged its ongoing war against Ukraine in February last year.

    The brief meeting took place on the sidelines of the G20 summit in New Delhi.

    Before this, Blinken and Lavrov met in Geneva in January 2022.

    ALSO READ: Lavrov: Fate of detained US reporter depends on court

  • EAM, Lavrov to discuss developments in Ukraine

    EAM, Lavrov to discuss developments in Ukraine

    Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday arrived in India for the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (G20 FMM). Lavrov will also attend Raisina Dialogue 2023…reports Asian Lite News

    Russian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday said that the country’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will touch on a number of regional topics, including “developments in Ukraine” during Lavrov’s visit to India for the G20.  

    “As part of the visit’s bilateral events, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar will discuss ways to further advance cooperation in key areas, as well as coordinate the schedule of upcoming contacts. The main thematic blocks include trade, investment, transport and logistics cooperation, the use of national currencies in mutual settlements, and promising projects in the energy sector.

    “The ministers will exchange views on topical international matters, including interaction under India’s SCO chairmanship and G20 presidency, as well as coordination of approaches in the UN, BRICS and RIC. They will also touch on a number of regional topics, including the creation of security architecture in the Asia-Pacific region, the current state of Afghanistan, and developments in Ukraine,” it added.

    Russia supports India’s G20 presidency in its commitment to promote a unifying agenda that will restore confidence in multilateral diplomacy and prevent the fragmentation of the global economy, as per the statement.

    “We share the relevance of India’s stated priorities: ensuring inclusive and sustainable economic growth; accelerating progress towards the achievement of sustainable development goals; reforming multilateral institutions; digital modernisation; and increasing women’s economic engagement,” the statement read.

    Russia is active on all G20 ministerial tracks, supports India’s effort to improve working mechanisms and create specialised processes to respond to natural disasters and launch start-ups. Russia is also ready to make a significant contribution to making progress in all these areas. “We aim to work together with our Indian colleagues to achieve the desired result, showing the greatest possible flexibility,” it said.

    Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday arrived in India for the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (G20 FMM). Lavrov will also attend Raisina Dialogue 2023.

    “Welcome to India! FM Sergey Lavrov of Russia @mfa_russia and @UNDESA Under Secretary General Li Junhua arrive in New Delhi for #G20FMM. FM Lavrov will also attend #Raisina2023,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted on Tuesday.

    The upcoming event’s theme is ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’. During the event, Lavrov will meet his Indian Counterpart S Jaishankar.

    Russia considers the G20 a prestigious forum for the world’s leading economies, a significant discussion platform on global governance, where balanced consensus decisions should be made in the interests of all humankind. Its participants account for about 80 per cent of global GDP, international trade, and greenhouse gas emissions, as well as two-thirds of the world’s population, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.

    The statement said that the importance and role of the foreign ministers’ meetings in G20 activities is steadily growing. This format was launched in 2012. The key goal is to exchange views on current international issues and challenges.

    The meeting this year will be concentrated on multilateralism, energy and food security, and international development. The agenda also includes counterterrorism, labour resources, humanitarian assistance and reduction of the impacts of natural disasters.

    “During the regular foreign ministers’ meeting, we intend to firmly and openly talk about the reasons and instigators of the current serious problems in world politics and the global economy. We will focus on the attempts by the West to take revenge for the inevitable disappearance of the levers of dominance from its hands. We will also concentrate on its striving to continue receiving unilateral rent, in part, through unequal trade and violent interference in the affairs of sovereign states,” the ministry said.

    We are set to clearly state Russia’s assessments of the current security, energy and food situation. We will present an unbiased factual picture of the act of terrorism, the bombing of the Nord Stream gas pipeline in the EU and NATO zone of responsibility, and the illegal seizing of Russian humanitarian fertiliser shipments designated for African and other needy countries, according to the official statement.

    The Russian Foreign Ministery said it welcomes the initiative of the Indian Presidency on organising a special G20 pavilion at the International Book Fair (February 25-March 5 of this year) in New Delhi and that Russia plans to hold an exhibition at the Fair on the commonality of world outlooks and the mutual influence of Leo Tolstoy (195th birth anniversary) and Mahatma Gandhi (75th anniversary of this tragic death). (ANI)

    ALSO READ-‘India-Europe ties stronger than ever before’

  • Blinken, Lavrov, Qin in India for G20 meet

    Blinken, Lavrov, Qin in India for G20 meet

    This will be Blinken’s first visit to India since the war began last year, Lavrov’s second visit in a year and Qin’s first visit as the newly appointed Chinese Foreign Minister…reports Asian Lite News

    Coming days after the G20 Finance Ministers failed to agree on a joint communique since there was no consensus on the reference to the Russia-Ukraine war, the Foreign Ministers’ meeting is set to test India’s diplomatic tightrope walk.

    Amid the hardening of positions on the Russia-Ukraine war which entered its second year last week, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will host US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang among others at the G20 Foreign Ministers’ meeting beginning on Wednesday.

    Coming days after the G20 Finance Ministers failed to agree on a joint communique since there was no consensus on the reference to the Russia-Ukraine war, the Foreign Ministers’ meeting is set to test India’s diplomatic tightrope walk.

    This will be Blinken’s first visit to India since the war began last year (he last came to India in July 2021); Lavrov’s second visit in a year (he was in Delhi in April 2022); and Qin’s first visit as the newly appointed Chinese Foreign Minister. Qin’s predecessor Wang Yi had come to India in March last year.

    The meeting, which will take place in the Rashtrapati Bhavan premises, will begin with a welcome reception and dinner on Wednesday evening for the visiting Foreign Ministers. This will be followed by a day-long meeting on Thursday, which will tackle six issues in two sessions.

    The first session in the forenoon will discuss “strengthening multilateralism and need for reforms”, “food and energy security” and “development cooperation”. This will be followed by bilateral meetings and lunch. The afternoon sessions will discuss “counter-terrorism: new and emerging threats”, “global skill mapping and talent pool” and “humanitarian assistance and disaster relief”.

    While India, which holds the G20 presidency, would like a consensus on all these topics, the shadow of the Russia-Ukraine war has polarised conversations in the past.

    Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy who is attending the G20 meeting, said: “I think the Indian position has been made very clear by Prime Minister Modi himself — ‘this is not a time for war’ — and he is right.”

    “India is renowned as the largest democracy in the world and has a very influential voice on the world scene. The international community needs to come together and ensure that international law will prevail against Russia’s blatant violation of and disregard for the UN Charter. It is dangerous for the entire world if a permanent member of the UN Security Council violates, in such a brutal way, international law and rules. Such behaviour, if left unanswered, can only encourage others who decide to remodel the borders or the world with military means,” said Borrell.

    “This is an unprecedented situation internationally and will inevitably also have an impact on G20 proceedings. As in Bali, we will work for a G20 declaration that recognises the facts on the ground,” he said, adding, “We trust the Indian presidency and we will support its work towards an outcome that reflects the current extraordinary circumstances”.

    Besides Blinken, Lavrov, Qin and Borrell, France’s Catherine Colonna, Germany’s Annalena Baerbock, British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajan, Australia’s Penny Wong, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Indonesia’s Retno Marsudi and Argentine Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero are among those attending the meeting.

    India, which has not explicitly condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine, is mindful of the challenge at hand as well as the precedent in Indonesia, which could not arrive at a consensus document or a joint communique in the 16 ministerial meetings in the lead up to the G20 leaders’ summit in November.

    The contention is the crucial paragraph, which echoes Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s now-famous statement to Russian President Vladimir Putin in Samarkand in September last year on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit where he said “this is not the era of war”. While the Western countries in the G20 led by the US — especially the G7 — want the inclusion of paragraphs from the Bali declaration, Russia and China have opposed it.

    After the G20 Finance Ministers’ meeting, the Russian Foreign Ministry had applauded “the constructive role” of the Indian presidency and its efforts to have “fair consideration of interests and positions of all countries”.

    “Our opponents, primarily the United States, EU and G7, continue their paranoid attempts to isolate Russia and shift the blame for the provoked problems in the area of international security and the global economy onto it,” Moscow had said.

    Besides participating in the G20 meeting, a number of Foreign Ministers are set to take part in the Raisina Dialogue, India’s annual conference on geo-politics and geo-economics.

    The G20 comprises Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, the US and the European Union.

    ALSO READ-Blinken in Central Asia as tensions soar over Ukraine war

  • Lavrov to attend G20 FMs meet in New Delhi

    Lavrov to attend G20 FMs meet in New Delhi

    India assumed office from December 1, 2022 for a one-year period for the G20 chairmanship…reports Asian Lite News

    Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will be taking part in the G2O Foreign Ministers’ meeting in New Delhi from March 1-2, Russian news agency TASS reported citing Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko on Monday.

    The G20 presidency of India, according to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will be inclusive, ambitious, definite, and action-oriented. “Our foreign minister will take part in the meeting of G20 foreign ministers in New Delhi on March 1-2,” Russian Deputy FM Rudenko told reporters, according to TASS.

    This year, the G20 presidency is being held by India. The annual G20 summit is slated to take place in the Indian capital on September 9-10 and New Delhi plans to showcase its cultural history in more than 200 meetings in 55 different sites across the nation as part of the group’s activities.

    “The sense of ownership over natural resources is giving rise to conflict today and has become the main cause of the plight of the environment. For the safe future of the planet, the sense of trusteeship is the solution. LiFE i.e. ‘Lifestyle for Environment’ campaign can make a big contribution to this. Its purpose is to make sustainable lifestyles a mass movement,” Modi said, during his address at the G20 Summit that took place in Indonesia in 2022.

    India assumed office from December 1, 2022 for a one-year period for the G20 chairmanship.

    Talking further about India’s presidency of the G20 summit, PM Modi said that the country is taking charge of the G20 at a time when the world is simultaneously grappling with geopolitical tensions, economic slowdown, rising food and energy prices, and the long-term ill effects of the pandemic. And at this time “the world is looking at the G20 with hope,” he added.

    The cooperation between India and Russia in the military-technical sector remains huge. The production of T-90 tanks, Sukhoi 30 MKI fighter jets, AK-203 assault rifles, and other weapons in India is in full compliance with the requirements of the government program “Make in India,” the Russian Embassy in India, stated earlier in an official statement.

    Space, scientific and technological cooperation continue to remain a priority of India and Russia. The two nations continue to hold cooperation in the fields of quantum and biotechnology, artificial intelligence, fundamental and applied physics and medical science as well. (ANI)

    ALSO READ-Lavrov not happy about US-Moscow ties

  • Lavrov not happy about US-Moscow ties

    Lavrov not happy about US-Moscow ties

    The Russian minister further claimed that the US is the “main beneficiary of the military conflict as it seeks to reap the biggest benefits from it in economic and military-strategic terms….reports Asian Lite News

    Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said that the Washington-Moscow relationship is at its lowest point.

    “Indeed, Russia-US relations are in an extremely poor state. They have become practically frozen through the fault of Washington. Its confrontational anti-Russia policy is becoming increasingly exacerbated and comprehensive. It is objectively impossible to maintain any kind of normal communication with the Biden administration…,” Lavrov told TASS news agency in an interview.

    “Undoubtedly, our relations with the European Union have deteriorated to a historic low. The reasons for this are well known. Since the beginning of the special military operation, Brussels, following the US and NATO, has declared a hybrid war against Russia. EU chief diplomat Josep Borrell was among the first to voice the opinion that Russia must be defeated on the battlefield,” he added.

    The Russian minister further claimed that the US is the “main beneficiary of the military conflict as it seeks to reap the biggest benefits from it in economic and military-strategic terms. At the same time, Washington is addressing an important geopolitical goal, which is to destroy the traditional ties between Russia and Europe and to overpower its European satellites even more”.

    “…The Pentagon is openly planning more orders for the US defence industry for years to come, keeps raising the bar for military spending to cover the needs of the Ukrainian forces and wants other members of the anti-Russia alliance to do the same,” he added.

    “The Kiev regime is deliberately flooded with the most advanced weapons, including samples that have not yet been put into service in the Western armies apparently in order to see how they will do in combat conditions. The volume of military aid provided to the regime has exceeded $40 billion since February, which is comparable to the military budgets of many European countries. We are also aware of the fact that the US political circles are increasingly thinking about drawing Ukraine into NATO using every available avenue,” Lavrov asserted.

    On allegations surrounding the use of nuclear weapons, he refuted, terming it “propaganda”.

    ALSO READ: Indian scientist honored as one of Europe’s top talents

  • ‘Reviewed entire gamut of ‘time-tested’ ties with Russia’

    ‘Reviewed entire gamut of ‘time-tested’ ties with Russia’

    He further added that India and Russia engage each other in increasingly multi-polar and re-balanced world…reports Asian Lite News

    External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Tuesday said that during his bilateral talks with Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, the entire gamut of India’s “time-tested” relationship with its oldest ally were reviewed.

    “Just concluded comprehensive discussions with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov of Russia. Reviewed the entire gamut of our steady and time-tested relationship,” Jaishankar tweeted after concluding discussions with Lavrov.

    “Also exchanged perspectives from our vantage points on global and regional developments,” he said in another tweet.

    Earlier in his opening remarks, he had said that bilateral talks with Lavrov will address the overall global situation as well as specific regional concerns.

    Jaishankar – who on Monday arrived in Moscow on a two-day visit to Russia – said that “there have been strong and continuing contacts between our governments at various levels”.

    “Our meeting is devoted to assessing our ties, exchanging perspectives on global situation and what it means to our respective interests,” he said.

    “Covid, trade difficulties have taken a toll on global economy. We are now seeing consequences of Ukraine conflict on top of that,” he added.

    Where bilateral ties are concerned, our objective is to fashion a contemporary, balanced, mutually beneficial and long-term engagement, Jaishankar said further on his meeting with the Russian Foreign Minister.

    “There are more perennial issues of terrorism and climate change, both of which have a disruptive impact on progress and prosperity,” he noted.

    He further added that India and Russia engage each other in increasingly multi-polar and re-balanced world.

    “We do so as two polities who have had exceptionally steady, time-tested relationship,” Jaishankar stated.

    Prior to this, Jaishankar had last visited Russia in July 2021 followed by the visit of Lavrov to New Delhi in April 2022.

    ALSO READ-Russia a steady and time-tested partner for India, says Jaishankar

  • Russia’s Lavrov not happy with Pelosi’s Taiwan visit

    Russia’s Lavrov not happy with Pelosi’s Taiwan visit

    Such a nuisance had been created out of thin air, knowing full well what it would mean for China, said Lavrov…reports Asian Lite News

    Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has criticised Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi’s Taiwan trip.

    This shows Washington’s desire to demonstrate US lawlessness to everyone, along the lines of “I do what I want,” he said on Wednesday during a visit to Myanmar, according to the Russian state news agency TASS.

    Such a nuisance had been created out of thin air, knowing full well what it would mean for China, dpa news agency reported quoting Lavrov as saying.

    Pelosi arrived in Taiwan the previous day.

    China regards self-governing democratic Taiwan as part of the People’s Republic and it strictly rejects official contact by other countries with the island and had warned the US against the visit.

    ALSO READ: China fumes over pelosi’s taiwan visit

  • Lavrov to visit Delhi this week

    Lavrov to visit Delhi this week

    With the war having completed a month, India on Thursday abstained on a resolution pushed by Russia in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, reports Asian Lite News

    Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is expected to come to India this week, days after the visit by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

    With the war having completed a month, India on Thursday abstained on a resolution pushed by Russia in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.

    The resolution, which was perceived to be critical of Ukraine, did not get the required nine votes and failed to pass.

    By its abstention, New Delhi signalled that it was not aligned with Moscow’s position.

    India had earlier abstained on Western-led resolutions that criticised the Russian military action in Ukraine. Thursday’s abstention reflected an attempt by New Delhi to seek a neutral position as it continues to engage and walk a diplomatic tightrope on the issue.

    Hours later, India abstained again on a United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution moved by the French and the Mexicans, which got 140 votes in favour, five against, and 38 abstentions. This resolution was “strong” in its condemnation of Russia.

    US President Joe Biden had said last week that among the Quad countries, India was “somewhat shaky” in showing its opposition to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Australia and Japan, who make up the Quad along with India and the US, have criticised Russia’s aggression.

    Lavrov’s visit is expected to focus on strategic issues resulting from the war, as well as specific discussions on purchasing Russian oil, payment mechanisms, given sanctions against Russian banks and exclusion from the SWIFT, and possible disruptions in the supply of military hardware.

    The Modi government indicated in Parliament last week that it is considering offers of discounted Russian oil and a special inter-ministerial group headed by the Finance Ministry is looking into the payments issues for Indian importers and exporters that arise from the war and Western sanctions.

    India would also be looking for clarity and assurances from Russia on timely delivery of spares and components for systems in use and of the deals underway including S-400 and Ak-203 assault rifles among others, as well as streamlining the rupee-rouble payment system for any future purchases.

    Ahead of Lavrov’s visit, newly appointed Russian Ambassador Denis Alipov called on three of the senior-most officials in the Ministry of External Affairs last week: Secretary (West) Sanjay Verma, Secretary (East) Saurabh Kumar, and Secretary (Economic Relations) Dammu Ravi. In tweets, Mr. Alipov said he held exchanges on Russia-India cooperation at the United Nations, G-20, and other multilateral platforms.

    US President Joe Biden during a phone call with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky. (Photo-Twitter@POTUS)jpg

    Lavrov’s visit will be seen as an outreach to India as the US and European allies increase pressure to “isolate” Russia, and increase defence exports to Ukraine and neighbouring countries, and call on other countries to support their efforts.

    US President Joe Biden said last week that he was discussing the possibility of ousting Russia from the G-20 grouping, with the next summit to be held in Bali, Indonesia in November this year. When asked, officials said India, which would host the G20 summit in 2023, was unlikely to support such a move.

    UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and Mexican Foreign Minister Ebrard will be in Delhi mid-week as well, while Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz will arrive ahead of Israel Prime Minister Naftali Bennet’s visit next Sunday. In addition, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh are expected to travel to the U.S. to meet their counterparts Antony Blinken and Gen. Lloyd Austin later this month, where possible U.S. sanctions on the S400 purchase could come up.

    Lavrov’s visit will follow days after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi travelled to Delhi, and discussed the Ukraine issue, among others with National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Jaishankar, where Jaishankar said the “common element” in thinking on the crisis was the need for an immediate ceasefire and return to dialogue and diplomacy. Lavrov is likely to travel to Beijing as well, for bilateral talks and a conference on Afghanistan.

    India has consistently abstained from all resolutions at the United Nations criticising Russia thus far, and called for talks. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also spoken to Putin and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky a number of times on the telephone between February 24 and March 7 while Indian students were being transported back from Ukraine, and diplomats have suggested he could help mediate a resolution.

    ALSO READ-Lavrov accuses US of sabotaging Ukraine talks

  • Blinken, Lavrov discuss stable ties despite differences

    Blinken, Lavrov discuss stable ties despite differences

    The two countries “greatly diverge when it comes to our assessment of the international situation and our approaches towards how we should resolve it.” Lavrov responded…reports Asian Lite News

    US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov have discussed normalising bilateral relations as they met in person for the first time in Iceland.

    Blinken said that the US seeks “a predictable, stable relationship with Russia” in comments ahead of the meeting, according to a State Department transcript, DPA news agency reported.

    But he also said “it’s no secret that we have our differences” before the meeting, which was held on the margins of an Arctic Council ministerial meeting.

    “When it comes to those differences,” Blinken said, US President Joe Biden has let his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin know that “if Russia acts aggressively against us, our partners, our allies, we’ll respond.”

    US Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov(Twitter)

    Lavrov responded by saying that the two countries “greatly diverge when it comes to our assessment of the international situation and our approaches towards how we should resolve it.”

    “We are prepared to discuss all issues on the table with the understanding that our discussions will be honest, factual, and with mutual respect,” the Russian minister said during the meeting on Wednesday.

    The top diplomats were expected to discuss a potential meeting between Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Biden has suggested a summit in a third country, but it is unclear whether Putin will say yes.

    Other topics for Lavrov and Blinken’s talks included the escalation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, North Korea’s and Iran’s nuclear programmes and the situation in Afghanistan.

    ALSO READ: Blinken, Lavrov set for 1st meeting

  • Blinken, Lavrov set for 1st meeting

    Blinken, Lavrov set for 1st meeting

    According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the face-to-face between Lavrov and Blinken was arranged to discuss “key issues of mutual relations and the international agenda.”…reports Asian Lite News

    US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will on Wednesday meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov for the first time, on the margins of the Arctic Council ministerial meeting in Iceland, a Department of State spokesman said.

    “The bilateral meeting will take place after the evening’s final Arctic Council event and will provide an opportunity to test the proposition of whether we can achieve a relationship with Moscow that is more stable and predictable,” Ned Price said in a statement on Tuesday evening, DPA news agency reported.

    According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the face-to-face between Lavrov and Blinken was arranged to discuss “key issues of mutual relations and the international agenda.”

    Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov

    A topic expected to be discussed will be a potential meeting between US President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin.

    The US president had suggested the two meet in a third country at a summit, but it is unclear whether Putin will accept the invitation.

    Biden will take his first overseas trip as president in June, when he is scheduled to attend the G7 summit in Britain and then travel to Belgium for meetings with NATO. Top-level talks with EU officials are also planned.

    US-Russia ties have nose-dived over Washington’s allegations of election interference and cyberattacks, the treatment of jailed Russian dissident Alexei Navalny and the conflict in eastern Ukraine. The two sides have imposed a wave of sanctions and counter-sanctions.

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