The
diplomat said practical preparations are under way for a meeting between Putin
and Trump.
MOSCOW,
February 28. /TASS/. In its contacts with Washington Moscow has not discussed
and does not discuss the criteria of the lifting of sanctions, Russia’s Deputy
Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said at a round-table conference in the State
Duma devoted to Russian-US relations on Tuesday.
"We
have not discussed the criteria of the lifting of sanctions and we do not
discuss them," he said.
"True,
restrictions in a number of spheres are a hindrance to us, but to no greater
extent than they are a hindrance to US export US President Donald Trump has
vowed to promote."
"To a
certain extent Russia has managed to use the situation to its own advantage to
develop its own industries through the process of gradual import
substitution," he explained. "It is up to Washington to decide,
although by and large it is clear that mutually beneficial economic cooperation
would be far easier to develop without restrictions. Also, without the climate
of confrontation the restrictions breed it would be far easier to conduct a dialogue
and address such intricate issues as the conflict in Syria," Ryabkov said.
Putin-Trump meeting
No
understanding has been reached yet on the date and the place of a meeting
between Russian and US Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump but practical
preparations are under way, Ryabkov said.
"There
is no understanding yet on the date and the place of holding such a meeting but
practical preparations for it have been launched and there is mutual
understanding with the US side on this score," the diplomat said at a
roundtable discussion in the lower house of Russia’s parliament on Russian-US
relations.
Fight against terrorism
Russia is
ready to cooperate with the US in the fight against terrorists in Syria but
obstacles built by Barack Obama hamper cooperation, Ryabkov said.
"The
new US administration seems to understand the situation. Obviously, the main
problem in Syria is not (President Bashar) al-Assad but international
terrorism, which has turned the country into its stronghold," the Russian
diplomat said.
"It is
important that the new US administration confirms, particularly during its
contacts with us, that it is ready to fight terrorists until they are
defeated," Ryabkov added. "We are ready, too, but cooperation is
hampered by another obstacle left by Obama, who imposed restrictions on the
full-fledged military interaction."
