Blinken To Discuss Totality Of US-Russian Relationship With Lavrov - State Dept.

WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 15th May, 2021) US Secretary of State Antony Blinken looks forward to discussing with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov the totality of bilateral relations and exploring areas for potential cooperation at their meeting next week in Iceland, State Department spokesman Ned price told reporters on Friday.

"The point of this discussion is to discuss the totality of the relationship, to explore - if there is - the potential to cooperate when and where our interests do align," Price said during a telephone briefing.

Blinken and Lavrov are expected to meet on the margins of the Arctic Council ministerial that is held on May 19-20 in Iceland's capital city of Reykjavik. The Russian Foreign Ministry said earlier after a phone conversation between Lavrov and Blinken that they agreed to hold a bilateral on May 20.

Price mentioned climate, strategic stability, Iran and North Korea among issues where Russia and the United States potentially can cooperate.

"So both this meeting and a potential meeting with President [Joe] Biden later on is all part and parcel to being a test... [whether] we can achieve a relationship with Moscow that is more stable and more predictable. That's what will be the focus of the meeting next week in Iceland," he said.

Biden offered Russia's President Vladimir Putin to meet in summer in Europe with both sides currently ironing out details of the possible summit.