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Russia is open to normalizing bilateral relations with the United States. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said this in a telephone conversation today with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinkon, Reuters reported, citing the Russian Foreign Ministry.
As for Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, who was sentenced to prison this week, Lavrov called for “respect” for the law and the Russian judiciary.
Russia’s foreign minister congratulated the new US secretary of state on his inauguration and expressed his attitude towards a constructive dialogue on a wide range of issues, TASS reported.
Lavrov and Blinkon welcomed the continuation until 2026 of the new START treaty between the United States and Russia on nuclear weapons control and highlighted its role in ensuring international security.
The two also discussed the prospects for the Open Skies agreement, from which the United States and Russia withdrew, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
Blinkon raised the issue of Navalny’s poisoning in a telephone conversation with Lavrov and asked Russia to release two Americans, AFP reported, citing the US State Department.
They are Paul Whelan and Trevor Reed, convicted of espionage and assault on two policemen, respectively.
The US secretary of state mentioned “the need for new arms control agreements that cover all of Russia’s nuclear weapons and the growing threat from China,” the statement said.
Blinkon and Lavrov expressed their desire to continue discussions on current issues in relations between Washington and Moscow.
The new US Secretary of State took office last week. The US approach to Russia is expected to change radically under the presidency of Joe Biden following the friendly attitude of the administration of his predecessor, Donald Trump, Reuters notes.
